BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 1/ 



Meg'achile casrulescens, Spin. Ins. Lig. fasc. 1. 145. 12. 

 Osmia caerulescens, Latr. Encycl. Me'th. viii. 581. 12 $ $ . 



St. Farg. Hym. ii. 325. 16. 



Brulle, Hist. Nat. Canar. iii. 85. 10. 



Smith, Zool ii. 743. 5. 



Lucas, Explor. Sc. Alger. iii. 190. 



Nyland. Ap. Boreal, p. 262. 4 ; Revis. Ap. Boreal, p. 271. 8. 

 Abeille ma0ime, etc., Be Geer, Ins. ii. 751. t. 30. f. 23 $ & t. 32. 

 . 'f. !<?. 



Female. Length 3|-4 lines. Deep blue ; head as wide as the 

 thorax, subquadrate, closely punctured, the antennae not longer 

 than the head; mandibles very stout, longitudinally grooved, 

 pubescent ; a little white pubescence on each side of the face 

 below the insertion of the antennae, the cheeks have also a white 

 pubescence. Thorax very closely punctured, and having a little 

 white pubescence at the sides of the metathorax ; the wings sub- 

 hyaline, the margins having a fuscous cloud ; the legs have a 

 glittering hoary pubescence. Abdomen subglobose, shining, 

 finely and closely punctured, at the base there is a little thin hoary 

 pubescence, the apical margins of the segments have a narrow 

 white fringe, broadly interrupted on the three basal ones, usually 

 obliterated on the first ; beneath densely clothed with black 

 pubescence. B.M. 



Male. Length 3i-4 lines. Brassy-green ; the head and thorax 

 very closely punctured, the head subquadrate, as wide as the 

 thorax ; the face clothed with long fulvous pubescence, palest 

 on the clypeus. Thorax : the disk thinly covered with pale 

 fulvous pubescence ; beneath more or less hoary ; the wings 

 as in the other sex. Abdomen narrowed at the base, shining, 

 finely and closely punctured, the margins of the two basal 

 segments depressed ; two or three of the apical segments 

 have a narrow pale fringe ; the sixth segment has its mar- 

 gin slightly notched in the middle, the seventh is incurved, bi- 

 dentate. ' B.M. 



This species is found in all parts of the kingdom. The co- 

 lour of the female varies, being sometimes deep blue, at other 

 times nearly black; it also varies a good deal in size. The 

 0. purpurascens of Smith's Catalogue has been discovered to be 

 a North American insect. 



10. Osmia leucomelana. 



O. aterrima, albido-subvillosa ; abdominis segmentis margimbus 



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