A HISTORY OF CORNWALL 



by Baily in 1893. It has since been recorded from Loe Pool in the same neighbourhood, and by 

 Nevinson from Perranporth. Of the two varieties of A. rosae, trimmerana is generally distributed, 

 and not uncommon about the beginning of May, but ipinigera is evidently local. The autumn brood 

 (rosae) occurs not infrequently along the south coast. The A. austriaca of Panzer was described by 

 Marquand as plentiful in two or three places at bramble around Penzance, though males were 

 extremely scarce. A. florea and A. thsracica, though scarce, appear to be generally distributed. The 

 latter has been taken at St. Mary's, Scilly. A. cineraria occurs very sparingly about Falmouth and 

 Penzance, and has been taken twice above Scawswater, Truro. A. darkella is nowhere common, 

 but is widely spread. It is one of the earliest spring bees, and has been obtained by Baily on the 

 slopes above Marazion on 12 February. A specimen of A. nigriceps was taken by Marquand at 

 Jasione montana, near Mulfra, in the Land's End district. Three were taken subsequently near 

 Helston, and Nevinson has found it lately at Newquay. In July, 1883, Marquand captured both 

 sexes of A. simillima at their burrows in a hedgebank near Redruth. The species has been taken 

 around Penzance, chiefly at bramble, and also at Perranporth. A. denticulate is wide-spread, and in 

 places fairly common. A. hattorfiana y the finest species in the genus, occurs regularly every year 

 about Trevaylor and elsewhere in the Penzance district. It has been taken at Loe Pool, at Falmouth, 

 at Bishop's Wood, Truro, an'd along the banks of the Lynher. The ruddy form of the female has 

 been obtained once, namely, near Madron, in 1893. ' <*'*'> ^ or a ^ ew ^ a 7 s at tne en ^ f August 

 last year (1905), was common on Scabiosa, near Bude. Previous to that time only two solitary 

 specimens had been recorded for the county. Females of A. coitana are not uncommon locally on 

 brambles and wild thyme in the latter half of July, but males are very rare. A. fulvago occurs at 

 intervals all round the coast, and has been taken at Tresco, Isles of Scilly. A. humilis in the end of 

 June and beginning of July is in places one of the commonest of bees, often burrowing in hard path- 

 ways and thronging the heads of mouse-ear hawkweed. On 3 July, 1891, the incoming tide in a 

 perfectly calm sea at Hayle Towans threw up on the sands a long line of black surface scum, which, 

 on examination, was found to be composed of many thousands of dead bees, all belonging to this 

 species. The rare A. proximo is represented by a solitary female in beautiful condition, captured by 

 Marquand at Gulval on 7 July, 1883. That recent addition to the British list, Ci/issa melanura, 

 was taken by E. C. H. Davies at Porthcothan in August, 1903. 



The handsome Dasypoda hirtipes has been taken at intervals along the south coast, but is 

 commoner on the towans of the north. In 1891 there was a splendid colony at Carbis Bay, which 

 was probably destroyed by the sea, as in 1899, when the spot was revisited, it had disappeared. 

 Specimens are still not infrequently captured in the neighbourhood. The present head quarters of 

 this species in the county is in the valley of the Gannel at Newquay. 



The coal-black genus Panurgus contains only two British species, P. calcaratus and P. ursinus. 

 The latter is at times one of the most abundant bees in the Land's End district, especially in the 

 month of July. It is not unfrequently reported from other parts of the county, and in 1905 was 

 very common near Bude for about a fortnight. The former is, on the other hand, curiously local 

 though widely spread. 



That fascinating genus of inquilines, Nomada, contributes seventeen species to the county list. 

 A solitary specimen of N. obtusifrons was captured by Marquand on Jasione montana near Penzance. 

 N. sexfasciata occurs at Mousehole and Newlyn, but is not so common in the Land's End district as 

 its host Eumenes longicornis. N. lathburiana has been taken occasionally on the banks of the lower 

 Lynher. A male of the fine N. armata was obtained by Marquand at Gulval in 1883, and a 

 second specimen ten years later by Baily at Mousehole. N. ferruginata and N. fabriciana seem to 

 be widely diffused throughout the county, but while the former is somewhat scarce the latter is often 

 abundant in the west and common locally in the north. The diminutive dark brown N. furva is 

 generally common, and one sunny day in July, 1 905, the number present in the valley leading down 

 to Chapel Porth must, on a modest computation, have amounted to several thousands. Two days 

 later only a few stragglers were left. 



The little shining blue bee Ceratma cyanea was twice obtained by Marryat at Looe in 1890, 

 but has not been met with since. Coeloxys vectis has been taken several times at Trevaylor, near 

 Penzance, and during the past four years has not been uncommon at Newquay. C. acuminata is 

 frequently obtained on the north coast between St. Agnes and Tintagel. Several specimens of Osmia 

 pilicornis were taken at Scawswater, near Truro, in 1901, and one was captured at Penryn last year. 

 0. aurulenta was reported from Liskeard in 1899, and two years later it was bred from shells of 

 Helix aspersa from the same neighbourhood. Lately it has been obtained several times at Newquay. 

 A solitary male of O. leucomelana was captured at Whitsand Bay east in May, 1 904. Stelis aterrlma 

 is not uncommon about Porthgwarra and at Newquay, and has been taken at Falmouth, at Bishop's 

 Wood, Truro, and near Bude. S. phaeoptera occurs around Penzance and on the banks of the 

 Lynher. Anthopbora quadrtmaculata has been taken occasionally about Pendennis Castle, Falmouth, 

 in the neighbourhood of Penryn, and at Newquay, where it shows a most marked partiality for 

 Lamium purpureum. 



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