6. HALICTUS. 95 



20. Halictus gramineus. 



H. nigro-aeneus, pallido pubescens, abdomine pubescente pulveroso. 



Halictus gramineus, Smith, Zool. vii. Append, lviii ; Fntom. iv. 248 ; 

 Bees Great Brit. 36 <$ £ . 



Female. Length 3| lines. — Green, finely and closely punctured ; 

 the apical joints of the nagellum rufo-testaceous beneath ; the head 

 and thorax have a thinly scattered fulvous pubescence, palest on 

 the face ; the tegulae honey-yellow, as well as the extreme base of 

 the wings, which are hyaline and splendidly iridescent, the ner- 

 vures pale testaceous ; the anterior tibiae, the intermediate and 

 posterior pairs at their base, and all the tarsi testaceous, the claws 

 ferruginous. The abdomen entirely covered with a very short pale 

 fulvous pubescence, slightly intermixed with paler down, or scales, 

 on the margins of the segments, giving them a subfasciate appear- 

 ance. B.lf. 



Male. — Rather smaller than the female, similarly clothed ; the an- 

 tennas not so long as the thorax, the nagellum fulvous beneath ; 

 the apex of the clypeus, the labrum, and apex of the mandibles 

 yellow. Thorax, the wings as in the female ; the tibiae and tarsi 

 yellow ; a ferruginous stain on the anterior tibiae in front, and also 

 a similar spot on each side of the intermediate and posterior pairs, 

 the claws ferruginous. Abdomen ovate, scarcely longer than in the 

 other sex. " B3I. 



This may possibly be the H. vestitus of St.-Pargeau. 



The description of the male of this species will at once show that 

 it cannot be the Apis tumulorum of Linnaeus, who says, " Antennae 

 filiformes, corporis fere longitudine." In H. gramineus they are 

 about two thirds of the length of the thorax ; the typical specimen of 

 S. tumulorum in the Linnean Cabinet has three or four of the apical 

 joints of the antennae black or fuscous. Of this very distinct species 

 two specimens have been taken on Cove Common, Hants; there are 

 several in the collection of the British Museum, believed to be from 

 Devonshire. 



21. Halictus smeathmanellus. 



H. viridi-aeneus, nitidissimus, abdominis segmentis intermediis basi 

 utrinque tomentosis albis. 



Halictus smeathmanellus, Smith, Zool. vi. 21 01 \ Bees Great Brit. 

 36 ; Entomol. iv. 268. 



Nyland. Notts, ur Sdlls'k. pro Faun, et Flo. Fenn. ii. 247. 

 Thorns. Hym. Scand. ii. 152 . 

 Melitta smeathmanella, Kirhy, Mon. Apum Angl. Append. 375 $ 2 • 

 Hyheus smeathmanellus, Schenck, Xass. Bien. 271. 



Female. Length 3-3| lines. — Bright metallic green ; head and thorax 

 closely and finely punctured.; the nagellum nigro-piceous beneath, 

 the mandibles ferruginous at their apex ; the tegulae, nervures, and 



