32G Mr. T. D. A. Cockcrcll — Descriptions and 



descriptions of those from amber will be published at 

 Konigsberg : — 



(A) Small compact bees about 8 to 9 mm. long, often with metallic 



colours. All from Baltic amber. 



(a) Second t.-c. absent ; b. n. going basad of t.-m. ; stigma well 



developed. 



1. Sophrobombus fatalls. Representing aside branch of the primitive 



Bombida3, not leading to anything modern. 



(b) Three submarginal culls, as usual ; b. n. meeting t.-m. 

 (i.) Stigma distinct, but short. 



2. Ckalcobombug martialis. Third a.m. very broad (460/*) above. Meso- 



thorax, scutellum, and vertex dull black; prothorax, tubercles, and 

 Legs coppery red. 

 o. Chaleobombus hirsuttu. Head and thorax with long pale hair; wings 

 reddish fuliginous. 



4. Chaleobombus humilis. Abdomen with a sericeous lustre and a 



decided green tint, the hind margins of the segments broadly 

 reddish. 



(ii.) Stigma obsolete ; third submarginal cell produced apically. 



5. 1'rotobombus mdecisus. Wings rather light fuliginous, with a very 



dark fuliginous cloud at end of marginal cell. 



(B) About the size and build of the honey-bee (Apis), but with the 



eyes naked : stigma very small ; b. n. m< eting t.-m.; hind tibisB 

 with a single short sharp spur. Species from ami 

 C. Electrapis mcliponoides. Showing characters transitional to Apis, but 

 not a direct ancestor of that genus. 



(C) Bo77ibus-\ibe, stout-bodied bees. 



(«) Length about 11 or Ii' mm.; head and thorax very hairv; b. n. 

 going basad (170 /x) of t.-m. ; malar space obsolete. From 

 amber. 



7. Elertrapis (?) tornquisti. This is the most Bomhus-Y\ke of the amber- 



bees. 



(b) Length about 15 mm. ; b. n. meeting t.-m., but bending at upper 

 end to do so. Florissant (Miocene). 



8. Calypttapis Jlorissantensis. 



The Bombidse thus appear to have originated in Europe, 

 but to have reached America as early as the Miocene. Apis, 

 though widespread in the Old World/ apparently never 

 reached America until brought over by man. 



The only known fossil Apis, in any true sense, is Apis 

 henshawiy Ckll., from Rott, Prussia (Upper Oligocene). In 

 this species, however, the b. n. almost meets the t.-m., so it 

 has been regarded as forming a distinct subgenus, Synapis. 

 The character is one which allies it with the ancient Bombidse. 

 Apis adamitica, Heer, from Oeningen (Upper Miocene), is 



