74 ANDRENID^. 



a silvery brightness, faintly tinged with yellow above ; the basal 

 joint of the posterior tarsi sometimes fuscous towards the apex 

 within ; the apical joints of all the tarsi ferruginous. Abdomen 

 subovate, shining and convex; the apical margins of the inter- 

 mediate segments have a lateral white fringe ; the apical fimbria 

 rufo-fuscous. B.M. 



Male. Length 3^ lines. — The face has cinereous pubescence, the 

 head wider than the thorax, the antennae nearly as long; the 

 pubescence on the thorax and legs cinereous, faintly tinged with 

 ochraceous on the disk of the former ; the wings as in the other 

 sex; the basal joint of the tarsi has a golden pubescence within; 

 their apical joints pale rufo -testaceous. Abdomen ovate-lanceolate, 

 shining, and fringed as in the female; at the apex some bright 

 glittering yellow pubescence ; beneath, the segments are fringed 

 with pale golden-yellow pubescence. B.M. 



This species appears about the beginning of June. The only 

 known localities are: — Barham,'near Norwich; Weybridge ; Black- 

 water, Hants; and Bristol. After carefully examining Kirby's 

 types, I have no hesitation in assigning M. proximo, and also 

 M. digitalis as the females. Kirby, in his remarks on M. digitalis, 

 says : — " Those hairs of the scopula on the inside of the posterior 

 planta which are next the tibia are white, while those of the lower 

 half of it, next the digitus, are black :" this appears to be the case 

 if examined by artificial light ; but by daylight the hairs are half 

 fulvous and half f usco-ferruginous ; they are the same in M. proximo. 

 This bee is of a blacker colour than is usual in the genus Andrena. 



63. Andrena xanthura. 



A. atra, pallide villosa ; ano, tibiis plantisque posticis rufescentibus ; 

 abdomine fasciis subinterruptis albidis. 



Andrena xanthura, Smith, Zool. v. 1928 ; Bees Great Brit. 106. 



Nyland. Notis. ur Sallsk. pro Faun, et Flo. Fenn. ii. 257. 



Schenck, Nass. Bien. 252. 



Thorns. Opusc. Ent. 143 ; Hym. Scand. ii. 105. 

 Melitta xanthura, Kirby, Mon. Apum Angl. ii. 164 $ $ • 

 Melitta wilkella, Kirby, lib. cit. 145 $ . 

 Melitta barbatula, Kirby, lib. cit. 152 <5 . 



Female. Length 5-6 lines. — Black; the face covered with short 

 griseous pubescence ; the labrum ciliated with bright golden-yellow 

 hairs ; the pubescence on the vertex is sparing and rufo-fulvous ; 

 the nagellum, except the two basal joints, piceous beneath. 

 Thorax, the pubescence on the disk rufo-fulvous and sparing, but 

 dense on the sides and on the postscutellum ; on the- sides of the 

 metathorax it is much paler ; the tegulae rufo-piceous ; the wings 

 fulvo -hyaline, faintly clouded at their apical margins ; the nervures 

 ferruginous ; the pubescence on the thorax beneath and the fringe 

 on the femora griseous ; the floccus yellowish white ; the posterior 



