SCIENTIFIC CULTIVATION OP BRITISH BEES. 143 



He divides Apis into what may be considered as two 

 sections, Apis domesiica forming the first, and the 

 second containing his Apes silvestres, or wild bees. 

 Nine of these are described and numbered consecutively, 

 which are followed by eleven descriptions unnumbered, 

 some of the latter having been supplied to him by 

 Francis Willughby, whose initials are attached to these, 

 and amongst which we find the description of the willow 

 bee, subsequently, from this cause, named by Kirby, 

 from its original describer, and now universally known 

 as Megachile Willughbiella. 



Ray's second genus is Bombylius, identical, as far as 

 it goes, with the modern genus Bombus, excepting that 

 it includes an Anthophora. He here describes nineteen, 

 all numbered. Ray's names are phrases, the mode of 

 describing then prevalent in all the natural sciences, 

 until the happy introduction of the binomial system by 

 the great genius of natural history — LinNjEUs. These 

 phrases are almost tantamount to the modern specific 

 character; but Ray unfortunately attaches no size, yet 

 size might have lent some aid to their modern deter- 

 mination. 



Mr. Kirby was able to identify and introduce into his 

 synonymy only a few of Ray's insects, from the defec- 

 tiveness of the descriptions ; the following embrace all 

 that could be verified : — 



No. 1 of the Apes silvestres is our Anthidium man- 

 caium ; No. 3, the male of Anthophora retusa, the fe- 

 male of which being No. 4 of his Bombijlii; No. 4 of 

 the Apes is Andrena nitida .- these comprise all of those 

 numbered which could be recognized. The first of the 

 unnumbered is the male of Eucera longicornis ; the 

 fourth is Melecta punctata ; the sixth is Colletes fodiens ; 



