1893.J J^J^ 



Andrena fasciata^ Trinimerana (var. spinigera), lapponica, &c., occurred, but in no 

 great abundance. At Gruestling I took what I fondly hoped was a !^ of Osmia 

 xanthomelana, hut it proved to he onlj a, pilicornis. After two or three days of 

 splendid sunshine, which raised ray hopes of splendid captures to an extravagant 

 pitch, the weather broke up completely, and put an end to collecting for the re- 

 mainder of my visit. 



On August 1st I found myself at Deal, and throughout that month, as far as 

 the weatlier would permit, 1 collected vigorously in that famous district. Andrena 

 Hattorfiana ( $ and ? ) abounded in the direction of Kingsdown, but all the speci- 

 mens taken were quite black. Noniada armata was not to be found, in spite of 

 prolonged and careful search ; the only species of that genus that appeared was 

 jacobace. Nor could I come across Andrena cetii, though I obtained that species 

 in the following month on Scabious near Chobham. I got a few females of Andrena 

 similllma at Kingsdown j but, except Rattorfiana, no Andrena occurred in any 

 quantity, and even of so common a kind a,&fulvicrus I saw only a solitary male. 



By far the most abundant bee that I found at Deal was Frosopis dilatata, a 

 creature I have never met elsewhere. The males seemed nearly over, but I may 

 safely say that I could have taken the females by hundreds, and they seemed to 

 visit all kinds of flowers indiscriminately. Other bees which I was glad to meet 

 with in the same neighbourhood were Colletes plcistigma (several males and one 

 female), Osmia leucoiuelana (i $), Megachile ligniseca (several fine specimens of 

 both sexes, distinctly larger than maritima),-a.wA Megachile argentata (females only). 

 Few Malicti appeared, and hardly any Sphecodes. Wasps were not abundant, but 

 Odynerus trimarginatus turned up occasionally. Of the Fossores the best kind that 

 occurred was Miscophus maritiinus ; I took one male and three females on the 

 sandhills, and 1 believe they were not uncommon there, but they are most trouble- 

 some to capture, and so restless, that they are out of sight almost before they are in 

 it. I kept an anxious look out for Tachytes lativalvis, but only the common species 

 occurred. Amongst my other Deal captures were Priocnemis obtusiventris and 

 pusiLlus, Fompiius pectinipes ( J and $ , the prothorax with rounded emargination 

 in both), AmmophiLa iutaria, Mutllla rujipen, and Kedychrum ardens. From Deal 

 I went over for a day to Folkestone, and there found, what I had not found at Deal, 

 Tiphia femorata, $ , pretty common on the wild cari'ot. 



Just as the season was closing I paid my first visit to another district, of which 

 I hope to see more in another season ; tliis was Cannock Chase, a beautiful series of 

 heathy downs close to Stafford. I had only one day there, and wind and rain 

 interfered much with the expedition. However, I secured a worker of Jiombus 

 lapponicus, and some specimens of Colletes succincta and Andrena fuscipes , species 

 which seem always to occur where heather abounds, and, so far as I have seen, there 

 only. Grenerally ii\ fuscipes the pubescence at the apex of the abdomen is very 

 decumbent, but in these specimens it was so erect that 1 took them for simiUiina, 

 Mr. Saunders, however, pronounces them to he fuscipes, and no doubt they are so. 

 All that is known of the habits of the two species makes it unlikely that siniUlima 

 should be foui.d visiting heather, while no bee is more devoted to that plant every- 

 where thau_/M.seJjL(e*. 



In concluiion, I may mention that I have taken two very curiot.s colour- varieties 

 of JJombus thii je&v. One, in the spring, at Rugby — a, ierreslriS) $ {yar.virginalis)) 



