228 BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



Above are enumerated such varieties as appear absolutely 

 necessary to mention, but it must be borne in mind that inter- 

 mediate ones undoubtedly occur. The male of this species has 

 been long known as the A. Cullumana of Kirby ; but the insect 

 was very rarely seen in collections. Mr. Walcott obtained 

 several from the Brighton Downs, and also captured it in the 

 vicinity of Bristol; but it was not until 1853 that I became 

 aware of the fact that B. Cullumanus is the male of the true 

 B. soroensis of Fabricius: this was communicated to me by 

 M. Schiodte of Copenhagen. The bee which in this country had 

 been supposed to be identical with the B. soroensis of Fabricius, 

 is one of the varieties of B. subterraneus : the true species is 

 much smaller than any example of B. subterraneus. During the 

 month of August 1854, I met with jB. soroensis for the first time 

 at Southend, and obtained all the sexes in that locality : having 

 diligently collected during the last twenty years, without meet- 

 ing with this species, it is probable that it is extremely local, 

 and that its communities are small. Dr. Nylander regarded 

 the A. Burrellana of Kirby as the male of B. soroensis; and 

 although it has a very similarly coloured pubescence, it is seen to 

 be very different on comparison ; its pubescence is much longer, 

 and the different colours are less distinctly separated ; it is also 

 usually smaller, the yellow bands are of a deeper colour, and 

 the insect is altogether less compact in appearance. The male 

 when in fine condition is perhaps the most beautiful of all our 

 Bombi; its short dense pubescence and distinctly contrasted 

 colours at once divide it from the male of B. pratorum. 



15. Bombus lapidarius. 



B. hirsutus, ater, auo rufo-fulvo. Mas, facie, thortice antice et 

 scutello flavis. 



Apis lapidaria, Linn. Faun. Suec. p. 424. no. 1712; Syst. Nat. i. 

 960. 44, and type in Cab. Linn. Sw. ? . 



Fill. Ent. Eur. iii. no. 98. 



Scop. Ent. Cam. p. 305. no. 813. f. 813. 1. 



Fabr. Syst. Ent. p. 381. 14 ; Ent. Syst. ii. 329. 25 ; Syst. Piez. 

 p. 347. 25. 



Schrank, Ins. Amir. p. 396. no. 799. 



Fourc. Ent. Par. ii. 449. 22. 



Christ. Hym. p. 126. t. 7. f . 1 ? . 



Don. Eng. Ins. iii. 97. t, 108. f. 1 ? . t. 58. f. 2 $ . 



Kirby, Mon. Ap. AitgL ii. 363 106 $ ? . 

 Apicis pertristis, Harris, Expos. Eny. Ins. p. 137. t. 40. f. 14 <. 

 Apicis opts, Harris, idem, p. 137. t. 40. f. 12 J . 



