74 BRITISH BEES. 



the Brazils, but the whole number yet described is under 

 ten. 



The remarkable form in both sexes of the genus C^- 

 LioxYs occurs in identity with our own species through- 

 out France and Austria, and spreads north to Finland 

 and Russia, and through all the intervening countries. 

 It is singular that it should not be recorded from southern 

 or south-western Europe, as it is found in Oran. Other 

 species of the genus have been found in northern Africa, 

 Egypt, and Algeria. On the western coast of Africa it 

 has been caught on the Gambia, at Sierra Leone, and 

 on the coast of Guinea. It doubles the Cape of Good 

 Hope, where it is found extending its range to Port 

 Natal. From Asia we have it from Turkey, and again 

 from India. It has been sent from the hither side of 

 South America, from the Brazils, and separately from 

 Va.vi, and occurs at Cayenne, and in the West India 

 Islands, Cuba, and St. Thomas's, and extends as high in 

 North America, through the United States, as Canada. 

 It is quite probable that it has as wide a range as the 

 bees upon which it is parasitical [Megachile), although it 

 has not yet come from such extensively-spread loca- 

 lities. More than fifty species are known, but some of 

 our own have not yet been enumerated amongst those 

 found elsewhere. 



The genus Megachile, which embraces the most re- 

 nownedof the mechanical bees, is extremely cosmopolitan, 

 spreading north and south, east and west; and is also 

 very abundant in the numbers of its species, the census 

 extending to not far short of two hundred. Some one, 

 or several of our species, although other species are 

 limited to our own country,— spread through Italy and 

 France, and all the countries of northern Europe to the 



