BEES AND THEIR COUNTERFEITS. 17 



one of the many fine insects brought from the banks of the 

 river Amazon, and is so called from the subdued yellow tone 

 of the abdomen and legs, the latter being finely painted or 

 marked with dark brown. 



Oxcea flavescens (Fig. 2) is a remarkably brilliant insect, to 

 which no engraving or painting can do adequate justice. 

 The abdomen is of metallic orange of the greatest richness, 

 but entirely without gloss, striped across with bauds of pale 

 glittering yellow, which have the appearance of positive 

 bands of the most highly burnished pale gold. 



Euglossa analis (Fig. 3) is one of the pretty and gaily- 

 coloured small bees of the Brazilian forests, which have often 

 been described ; but few of the more recently discovered 

 species surpass this specimen in brilliant metallic tinting. 



Euglossa Brullei (Fig. 8) is another species of the same 

 genus. 



Euglossa violacea (Fig. 7) is so well known that it would not 

 have been included in our plate, but for the tempting contrast 

 which its rich violet offered to the orange and yellow tones of 

 the other specimens. 



But the most beautiful as well as the largest of this genus, 

 is the exquisite Brazilian insect Euglossa pulclira (Fig. 4), so 

 named by Mr. F. Smith. The most highly finished engraving 

 would do but scanty justice to its beauty. The colour of the 

 face is rich metallic apple-green, contrasting finely with the 

 ruddy brown of the large eyes. The thorax is of the finest 

 velvety purple, appearing of a deep black in the parts which 

 do not receive a direct light. The two upper segments of the 

 abdomen are of a bright red-violet, inclining to crimson ; the 

 remaining segments being of a vivid metallic straw colour, 

 resembling the colour of electrum, or gold paled by an ad- 

 mixture of silver, a natural combination anciently found in 

 the sands of the celebrated river Pactolus, and from which 

 some of the most ancient gold money of Sardis was coined. 



