148 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



it runs nearest to T. edwardsii (Cresson), to which it has a very strong 

 superficial resemblance, differing, however, by the black hair on the 

 basal part of the second abdominal segment (although that segment 

 has some light hair subapically), the brilliant silvery hairs on the 

 apical part of the abdomen, and the shorter third antennal joint. Tlie 

 last two characters also separate it from T. acerba (Cresson). There 

 is no light band on the fifth segment, such as is seen in T. echoardsii 

 vagabunda, Ckll. In some respects T. argyropkila closely resembles 

 T.fedoris, Ckll., from the same region, but the apical part of the 

 abdomen is very different, and the wings have none of the dusky 

 yellowish tint of fedoris. 



Hah. Lee County, Texas, March 24th (Birkmann, No. 16). 



Melissodes masuca, sp. nov. 



^ . Length about 11|^ mm., black, with ochreous pubescence, be- 

 coming bright yellowish red on the thorax above. No black hair on 

 head or thorax. Head rather broad ; eyes dark reddish ; clypeus 

 (except the two black spots), labrum, and large spots on base of 

 mandibles yellow ; antennas long, flagellum black above, clear ferru- 

 ginous below ; third joint broader than long ; mesothorax with strong 

 punctures ; tegulae clear ferruginous ; wings dusky, nervures rather 

 dilute brown ; legs ordinary, apex of middle and most of hind tibiae 

 ferruginous ; abdomen with continuous bands ; hind margin of first 

 segment rather narrowly whitish hyaline, of the others broadly and 

 suff usedly dark reddish brown ; segments two to five with broad 

 basal bands of ochreous tomentum ; second with also an entire 

 straight median band ; sixth segment with black hair ; seventh with 

 lateral red teeth. In the table in Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, 1906, this 

 runs to 8 on p. 81 ; it also runs to that vicinity (i. e. of M. aurigenia 

 and agilis) in Kobertson's table in Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, 1905. It 

 differs from M. trinodis, Eob., by the yellow on mandibles and other 

 characters ; from M. agilis and various other species it is readily 

 known by the entire narrow median band (separated from the basal 

 one by a black exposed area) on the second segment. In colour and 

 general appearance (except for the much longer antennae) it is curi- 

 ously like an undersized M. suffusa, Cress., but the distribution of 

 hair on the second abdominal segment and other characters are 

 entirely different. 



Hab. Fedor, Texas, June 17th, 1901 (Birkmann, No. 17). 

 The name means golden-haired in a dialect of Ceram. 



Melissodes loena, sp. n. 



S^ . Length about 12 mm. ; hair of thorax, &c., ochreous, but not 

 quite so bright as in 31. masuca ; clypeus (except the spots), labrum, 

 and large spot on mandibles yellow ; flagellum black above, clear fer- 

 ruginous beneath ; tegulae shining ferruginous ; nervures fuscous. In 

 the characters of the head, thorax, &c., this is almost the same as 31. 

 masuca ; were the abdomen removed, it would be hard to separate 

 them. The maxillary blade is shorter in loena, the tegulae are shining 

 (dull iu masuca), and the hind tibia is more slender, less densely 



