"*^ BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



I 



r 



Female. Length 6-n lines .—Black ; the pubescence on the !^ 

 head and thorax black ; the flagellum nigro-piceous beneath • 

 the wmgs subfuscous and having a dark cloud at their apical 

 margins, the nervures ferruginous i the floccus on the posterior 

 trochanters of a dirty-white, the scopa silvery-white beneath 

 above fuscous. Abdomen ovate and shining, its apical fimbria 

 sooty-black. g ^ 



Male. Length 5-6 lines.— Very closely resembles the other 

 sex, the pubescence on the thorax inclining to griseous ; the 

 abdomen ovate-lanceolate, shining, and havin,'^ a little sootv 

 pubescence at the apex ; legs black ; the claws ferruginous. " 



B.M. 



This very distinct species may be called the Kentish bee, from 

 the fact of our never having found it in any other county ; it 

 IS very abundant in many parts of Kent : I have frequently met 

 with colonies constructing their burrows in perpendicular banks 

 ot hard sand. This bee is very partial to thistle-heads, from 

 which it obtains a white pollen, and when loaded with this it 

 has a very strange appearance. 



Both sexes vary considerably in the intensity of the colouring 

 ol the wmgs. Mr. Kirby's M. pratensis is a dark winged male, 

 as will be seen on examining the authentic specimen in the Ca- 

 binet at the Entomological Society. 



11. Andrena thoracica. 



A. atra, villosa j thorace supra hirsuto-rufo. 



w 



Apis thoracica, Fair. Sijst. Ent. p. 383. 31 ? ; Spec. Ins. i. 481. 

 40 ; Mant. Ins. i. 302. 45 ; Ent. Syst. ii. 328. 63. 



Christ. Ilym. p. 178. t. 14. f. 6 J . 

 Apis bicolor, Christ. Hym. p. 178. t. 14. f. 6 ? . 

 Andrena bicolor, Ros%i, Faun. Etrus. ii. 97. 896. 



Panz. Faun. Germ. 65. 19 J. 

 Melitta thoracica, Kirdy, Mon. Ap. Angl ii. 101. 49 ? . 

 Mehtta melanocephala, Kirhy, Mon. Ap. Angl. ii. 103. 50, var.(? . 

 Andrena thoracica, Fahr. Syst. Plez. p. 322. 3. 



Spin. Ins. Lig. fasc. i. 120.5. 



St. Farg. Hym. ii. 239. 7. 



Smith, Zool.\. 1735. 15. 



Female. Length G-7i lines.— Black; the disk of the thorax 

 clothed with rufo-fulvous pubescence; wings fusco-hyaline, 

 their apical margins having" a dark fuscous cloud; the legs 

 have a black pubescence, the claws ferrus-inous. Abdomen 



