NEW BEES OF THE GENUS MELISSODES. 07 



pale ochreous pubescence on abdomen. Head rather broad, face from 

 vertex to margin of clypeus almost exactly square, clypeus bare, 

 closely, rather coarsely, and more or less confluently punctured ; face 

 with rather thin grey pubescence, occiput with black hairs in front 

 and pale hairs behind, lower margin of labrum with a tuft of orange 

 hairs ; flagellum slightly rufescent beneath, its first joint about as long 

 as the second and third together. Thorax rather densely covered with 

 grey pubescence, slightly tinged with ochreous on dorsum, posterior 

 half of mesothorax, and scutellum, with black hairs. Mesothorax 

 shining, the punctures not very close, the surface can be distinctly 

 seen near its hind border, and the anterior part of the scutellum is also 

 relatively bare. Tegulse piceous, the anterior half hairy. Wings 

 smoky, nervures fuscous, third submarginal cell narrowed more than 

 half to marginal. Pubescence of legs whitish, scopa of hind legs 

 dirty white, fairly dense, distinctly plumose, anterior tibiae with a brush 

 of orange-red hairs on inner side, first joint of anterior tarsi with dark 

 fuscous hairs on outer side, and dark orange-rufous hairs on inner, 

 first joint of middle and hind tarsi with pale hairs on outer side, and 

 reddish-orange hairs on inner side. Claw-joints rufous. First seg- 

 ment of abdomen with rather thin yellowish-grey hairs ; its hind 

 margin narrowly pallid. Second segment with two bands of appressed 

 pale ochreous hairs, one median, the other basal. Third segment 

 covered with similar pubescence except hind margin, fourth segment 

 wholly covered, fifth segment and apex with black pubescence — a sort 

 of purplish-black, the colour of the spores of certain agarics. Venter 

 bare, except the margins of the segments, which are fringed with 

 dark brown hairs. There is a conspicuous patch of brown-black 

 hairs on knees of hind legs, and the middle tibias without have the 

 pubescence largely of the same colour. 



A male specimen, unfortunately without its antennae, taken 

 on the same day and at the same place as some of the females, 

 almost certainly belongs here. It is somewhat smaller than the 

 female, the wings are not so dark, the pubescence of thorax 

 above is more inclined to be yellowish, the black hairs of the 

 thorax are almost entirely confined to the scutellum, the pube- 

 scence of face is copious, and covers the clypeus, which is pale 

 primrose-yellow, with a black margin. Labrum and mandibles 

 wholly black. Second abdominal segment with only one hair 

 band, that subapical; hair bands with fuscous or black hairs 

 just in front of them, not conspicuous unless the insect is seen 

 from the side ; pubescence of apex pale. Inner side of first joint 

 of hind tarsi with bright orange-rufous hairs. This is easily 

 known from ruidosensis by the light pubescence of the apex of 

 the abdomen. 



Hab. West Fork of Gila Kiver, New Mexico, July 12th, 

 16th, and 17th ; six females, one male (C. H. T. Townsend) ; 

 La Tenaja, near Santa Fe, N. M., a form with a somewhat 

 broader face, but evidently the same species ; two females (Miss 

 Myrtle Boyle). 



