1888.] 12 9 



2 (1). Clypeus with brownish or yellowish hairs ( $ ), or pale fulvous ( ? ). 



$ with distinct pale abdominal fascite. 



? with the post-scutellum not very densely olothed, and with paler hairs. 



3 (4). $. Antennro longer, 3rd joint very short and wide, the hairs on the face 



paler, and those on the thorax, &c, beneath rather silvery, hardly tinted 

 with fulvous. 

 ? . Wings fulvo-hyaline ; the central portion of the basal segment of abdo- 

 men very closely, distinctly punctured. Anal fimbria golden... 



xanthura, Kir. 



4 (3). 3 . Antenna; shorter, 3rd joint less short and broad, face with brownish hairs 



(or with paler hairs, and the 3rd joint of antennee sub-equal to the 

 4th, and the abdomen more shining, = var. ? intermedia, Thorns.), me- 

 sosternum, &c, with the hairs distinctly pale fulvous. 

 9 . Wings with no fulvous tint : central portion of basal segment faintly, 

 indistinctly punctured, or impunctate : anal fimbria dusky (or pale, and 

 with the abdomen rather more shining, = intermedia, Thorns.).. 



Afzeliella, Kir. 

 A variety like the var. fuscata of Afzeliella is equally common 

 in Thomson's intermedia : but as to the stylopized form (convexius- 

 cula), I am not certain, whether it is a variety of Afzeliella only, or 

 whether there is not also a stylopized var. of xanthura. 



"When worn, the ? of similis, Sm., might, perhaps, be confused 

 with that of xanthura, Kir., as both have fulvo-hyaline wings, and the 

 anal fimbria golden. The more shining and much more lightly punc- 

 tured abdomen (especially on the basal segment of the former) will 

 easily separate it. 



Similis seems to be a rare or overlooked species, and appears 

 during the latter half of April ; so far as I know, there is one brood 

 only. I have taken it rather freely at Oxford. 



Xanthura appears about the 15th of May, and may be taken 

 abundantly throughout June and July ; much faded £ s are to be 

 found in August, and this year, owing to the wet season, this sex was 

 still out in September. It is common everywhere, and rather partial 

 to clovers. Nomada ochrostoma is commonly parasitic on it ; it is only 

 single-brooded. 



Afzeliella is the earliest of these bees, appearing at the beginning 

 of April ; a second brood comes out at the end of July and in August. 

 The var. ? intermedia is often found with it, and is also double-brooded ; 

 but sometimes this form appears to be found away from the typical 

 species. Both are common in sandy localities, but they are, perhaps, 

 less general than xanthura. 



The synonymy of these species is rather confused, but would 

 appear to be as follows : — 



