BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 37 



mandibles ferruginous at their apex ; the tegulae, nervures and 

 extreme base of the wings testaceous, the wings hyaline and 

 beautifully iridescent ; the legs have a thin cinereous pubes- 

 cence. Abdomen ovate, very glossy, and having a very thinly 

 scattered downy pubescence ; the apical margins of the seg- 

 ments slightly testaceous, at the basal margin of the second 

 and third segments laterally, a patch of white pubescence ; the 

 sides of the apical rima pale fulvous. B.M. 



Male. — Of the same colou.r as the female, the apex of the cly- 

 peus pale yellow, the antennae as long as the thorax, the fla- 

 gellum fulvous beneath, the apex of the mandibles ferruginous. 

 Thorax : the tegulse piceous ; the wings hyaline and splendidly 

 iridescent. Abdomen elongate, shining green, at the base of 

 the two intermediate segments sometimes a little short white 

 pubescence. B.M. 



This is a local species, but is frequently found in the London 

 district; it formerly occurred about Old Brompton and Ham- 

 mersmith, also in the Battersea Fields, one of the best localities 

 for insects generally, about fourteen years ago, of any spot in 

 the neighbourhood of London. 



16. Halictus aeratns. 



H. viridi-aeneus, nitidus ; abdomine nigro-a^neo. 



Melitta a^rata, Kirhy, Mon. Ap. Angl ii. 58. 17. 

 HaHctus seratus, Smith, ZooL vi. 2043. 4. 



Female. Length 2-2-3 lines.— Head and thorax brassy-green ; 

 the flagellum slightly testaceous towards the apex beneath; 

 the thorax shining, the metathorax having at its base a sub- 

 defined space, its margin behind ridged, the space longitu- 

 dinally rugose ; the wings subhyaline, splendidly iridescent ; 

 the abdomen nigro-ajneous, smooth and shining, the apical 

 margins of the segments slightly testaceous ; the basal margins 

 of the intermediate segments have sometimes laterally, a httle 

 short white pubescence, frequently obliterated. B.M. 



Male. Length 3 lines. — Plead and thorax of a bronzed or brassy- 

 green, antennae nearly as long as the thorax, the flagellum ful- 

 vous beneath, apex of the clypeus pale yellow ; the wings sub- 

 hyaline ; the tegulse rufo-piceous. Abdomen black, shghtly 

 nigro-seneous at the base, which is very glossy ; the two inter- 

 mediate segments, and sometimes the third segment also, have 

 a little white pubescence on each side at the base. , B.M. 



