BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 221 



Female, Length 6-8 lines. — The pubescence on the head and 

 thorax black, that on the latter in front of the wings, above, 

 fulvous-yellow. Abdomen : the first and third segments clothed 

 with black pubescence, the second with fulvous-yellow, and 

 the apical segments with fulvous ; the yellow band subinter- 

 rupted. B.M. 



Var. /3. The black band covering the third and fourth seg- 

 ments. {A. subinterrupta, Kirby.) 



Var. y. The yellow band entire. 



Worker, Length 4-5 lines. — The pubescence black, that in 

 front of the wings, on the thorax above, yellow. Abdomen : 

 the second segment having a narrow yellow fascia at its basal 

 margin; the two apical segments rufo-fulvous. B.M. 



Var. /3. The yellow pubescence on the second segment of tlie 

 abdomen obsolete, and having only the extreme apex red. 



Male. Length 5-6 lines. — The pubescence on the head yellow, 

 intermixed on the sides of the face and on the vertijx with fus- 

 cous hairs; the fringe on the mandibles rufo-fulvous. Thorax 

 the pubescence before the wings yellow, behind it is black, some- 

 times having a mixture of yellow hairs on the scutellum ; the 

 pubescence on the two basal segments of the abdom.en yellow, 

 on the third and fourth it is black, and on the rest it is ful- 



B.M. 



Var. /3. The black pubescence thickly intermixed with yellow, 

 which in some lights gives the insect an entirely yellow ap- 

 pearance. 



vous. 



The different sexes and varieties of this bee have been de- 

 scribed as forming no less than six distinct species; and indeed 

 in this difficult genus, nothing but the examination of the bees 

 found in numerous nests would convince any one of the possi- 

 bility of some of the varieties not belonging to distinct species. 



The female described is the A. Bonovanella of Kirby, being 

 the most highly-coloured form ; var. y. appears to be not at all 

 uncommon in Wales, from whence I received it. Of the worker, 

 var. iS. is the A, pratorum of Linnaeus. The male has been 

 supposed to be identical with the Apis Cullumana of Kirby, but 

 it is quite distinct. The male described as belonging to this 

 species by Kirby is that of Apathus rupestris, and his var. fi. 

 is the female of B, lucorum. 



This species is found in all parts of the kingdom ; its nest 

 frequently occurs on Hampstead Heath, under furze bushes, and 

 also on banks. Apathus Barbutellus has been bred from its nest, 

 but it does not always occur. Mr. Walcott and Mr. Grant have 

 both found the same Apathus parasitic upon it. 



