BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN, 23/ 



following segments having yellow pubescence, the extreme apex 

 black. 



Variety 13. of the female is not frequently met with, and of 

 var. y. only two examples are known. Var. e. of the male is a 

 very common form : possibly other vai^ieties might be enume- 

 rated, but they will intei-vene between /3. and e. This is an 

 abundant insect in many situations; in tlie London district it 

 is most numerous about Plumstcadand Blackheath, being rather 

 scarce to the north of the Thames. 



It appears to be widely distributed ; examples have been re- 

 ceived from Wales and Perthshire ; it is probably parasitic upon 

 Bombus hortorum. 



N 



3. Apathus Barbutellus. 



A. hirsutus, ater; thorace antice, scutelloque, fulvis; abdomine 

 subgloboso, ano albo. 



Apis Barbutella, Kirbi/, Mon. Ap. Jnyl. ii. 343. 93. t. 18. f. 4 ^J . 

 Psithyrus quadricolor, St. Farg, Hym. ii. 428. 2 $ , 



Apathns Barbutellus, Smith, ZooL ii. 543. 3 ; Cat, Brit. Hym. 

 p. 99. 4. 



Female, Length 7-9 lines.— The pubescence black ; the thorax 

 anteriorly, the margin of the vertex, and the posterior maroin 

 of the scutellum have a fulvous-yellow pubescence ; the wings 

 fuscous, the nervures nigro-piceous. Abdomen subglobose, 

 very convex above, shining, the pubescence sparing on the three 

 basal segments, that on the basal one intermixed with yellow ; 

 the fourth and fifth segments with white pubescence. B.M. 



Var. /3. The scutellum and basal segment with black pubescence. 



Male. Length 6-7 lines.— The pubescence black ; the posterior 

 margin of the vertex, the thorax anteriorly, and the margin of 

 the scutellum have yellow pubescence ; the abdomen subglo- 

 bose, the two basal segments shining, the base with a thin yel- 

 low pubescence, that on the third, fourth, and lateral margins 

 of the fifth, yellowish-white ; that on the fifth and basal margin 

 of the sixth black, the apex fulvous. B.M. 



Var. ^. The pubescence on the scutellum entirely black. 



This species is very abundant ; it is parasitic upon B.pratorum. 

 Mr. Walcott bred a number from the nest of that bee, and during 

 the autumn of 1854 I myself obtained it from the nidus of the 

 same msect. I suspect a difficulty has arisen in the discrimina- 



