90 HYMENOPTERA. 



has succeeded in rearing the parasite from the bee. Mr. 

 Dale captured Halictoiihagus in company with H. ceratusj 

 which is certainly strong presumptive evidence of their rela- 

 tionship. This parasite is very minute, not exceeding the 

 twelfth of an inch in length; the species which attacked 

 a. ruhicundus and H. obovata must, certainly, belong to 

 some new genus, or be a new and grand species of Ha- 

 lictopharjus. 



Judging from the great difference in the size of the fe- 

 males found imbedded in the bodies of the various Andre- 

 nidid and Halictij I am led to the conclusion, that we have 

 yet much to discover in tliis most curious and interesting 

 family of parasites. I have seen a British species of Pro- 

 sojrls, in whose abdomen a parasite had been nourished, and 

 also a species of Odynerus, belonging to the Vespidce. 



Taking into consideration our present knowledge of the 

 family of the Stylopidcu, we are somewhat startled when we 

 read in the pages of the last work published on the " British 

 Bees," by Mr. Shuckard, "tlieir natural history is but im- 

 perfectly known, and I believe the males have not yet been 

 discovered;" and in another passage we are informed, that 

 '' Mel'ue is the reputed parasite of the genus Andrena.y^ 

 whereas Antho]diora, a genus belonging to the family of 

 true bees, Apidcc, is the only insect upon which Mel'ue has 

 been proved to be parasitic, and of which Mr. Newport 

 published a most elaborate aud interesting account in the 

 "Linnaean Transactions;" surely, tiie information quoted 

 is sadly in the wake of our present knowledge of the 

 subject. 



Of all the genera of wild bees, we are perhaps best ac- 

 quainted wlrh the history of the JBomhi; and yet, year by 

 year, we are picking up additional facts in elucidation of 



