NEW BEES OF THE GENUS MELISSODES. 305 



labrum, and base of mandibles very pale yellow ; scape hairy, flagellum 

 rufous beneath, first joint of flagellum much shorter than third, and 

 less than half as long as second. Thorax densely covered with fulvous 

 pubescence, so that the* surface cannot be seen ; on the pleura beneath 

 the pubescence is white, while on the scutellum it is very dark fuscous. 

 Tegulse reddish testaceous, pubescent. Wings smoky-hyaline, ner- 

 vures fuscous, second recurrent nervure joining third submarginal a 

 little before its end, first submarginal cell about as long as second, 

 third longer, narrowed somewhat more than half to marginal. Legs 

 densely covered with pale fulvous pubescence, conspicuously plumose 

 on hind tarsi, spurs pale rufous, terminal joints of tarsi and bases of 

 claws rufous. Abdomen stout, densely covered with fulvous pube- 

 scence, erect on basal two-thirds of first segment, otherwise ap- 

 pressed. Hind margins of segments more* or less whitish. Apex 

 rounded-subtruncate, apical hairs concolorous with the rest. 



Hah. Las Cruces, New Mexico, Aug. 5th (G. H. T. Towns- 

 end). One specimen only, with the antennae unfortunately 

 broken. The species must be rare, as I have never met with it. 

 It has been compared by Mr. Fox with the types at Philadelphia, 

 and he assures me there is nothing like it. 



This belongs with the series of M. ohliquay in which the males 

 are large and stoutly built, and the vertex is narrow in com- 

 parison with that of the smaller species. It differs at once from 

 obliqua (which occurs on Cleome serrulata at Santa Fe, N. M.) in 

 having the abdomen pubescent all over, instead of banded. It 

 is, however, quite closely allied to it. 



(3.) Melissodes ruidosensis, n. sp. 

 <^ . Length 12|- mm., anterior wing 8 mm., antennae 9 mm. 

 Black, with moderately dense erect pale ochreous-grey pubescence, 

 becoming whitish on lower parts of face, cheeks, and pleura. Head 

 broad, area behind ocelli closely punctured, that on each side of them 

 practically impunctate. Clypeus primrose-yellow, a spot on each side 

 and the anterior margin black, labrum black, mandibles without any 

 yellow spot. Antennae wholly black, long, extending about as far as 

 hind margin of second abdominal segment; flagellar joints longitudi- 

 nally keeled, strongly granular, first joint of flagellum very short, 

 considerably less than a quarter the length of the long second joint. 

 Thorax quite densely hairy, some black hairs intermixed on scutellum 

 and hindmost portion of mesothorax, mesothorax shining, with toler- 

 ably close large punctures. Tegulae piceous, wings smoky-hyaline, 

 thinly but noticeably pubescent, nervures piceous, third submarginal 

 cell narrowed considerably more than half to marginal. Inner sides 

 of first joints of tarsi with onxnge -rufous hairs, spurs pale ochreous. 

 First segment of abdomen covered with long erect pale ochreous hairs ; 

 segments 2 to 5 with rather broad conspicuous subapical bands of 

 appressed pale ochreous hairs, that on the second segment narrowed 

 in the middle ; before each of these bands the segment is thinly 

 clothed with black hairs ; the second segment has pale hairs about its 

 base. Sixth segment with fuscous hairs, those of the extreme margin 



