170 APIDiE. 



spot on the four basal segments, a minute one on the fifth, and two 

 central transverse marks on the fifth and sixth ; the sixth with a 

 lateral stout bent acute tooth, the seventh has an obtuse oue on 

 each side and a minute slender one in the middle ; the base 

 with a thin cinereous pubescence, and at its extreme lateral mar- 

 gins a tuft of silvery pubescence ; the following segments have a 

 pale fulvous fringe. B.M. 



Var. /3. The seventh segment has sometimes two large transverse 

 spots, those on the sixth being obsolete. 



Yar. y. The apical transverse spot obsolete. 



This species varies greatly in the presence or absence of the yellow 

 spots and stripes on the abdomen and legs. Yar. j3 was in the col- 

 lection of Mr. Desvignes, who obtained it from Scotland. It is of 

 great rarity in this country, but very common on the continent. Dr. 

 Sichel sent examples of the ten varieties described by Latreille in 

 his Monograph of the genus in the Ann. du Mus. d'JETist. Nat. vol. 

 xiii., several of which have not been found in Great Britain. The 

 variety j3 of the female, so common in France, is rare in this country, 

 and our common form of colouring rare on the continent. This bee 

 usually appears at the end of June or beginning of July, and is 

 abundant in all parts of the south of England, but appears to be 

 much less so in the north. It is very partial to the flowers of 

 the red archangel, Lamium purpureum, and sometimes swarms 

 where that plant is plentiful. 



Genus 11. MEGACHILE. 



Apis (pt.), Linn. Sijst. Nat. 953 (1766). 

 Centris (pt.), Fair. Syst. Piez. 354 (1804). 

 Anthophora (pt.), Fabr. Syst, Piez. 372 (1804). 

 Megachile, Latr. Hist. Nat. xiv. 51 (1805). 

 Trachusa (pt.), Jurine, Hym. 247 (1808). 



Head as wide as the thorax ; mandibles stout, quadridentate, ex- 

 terior pair acute, the inner pair obtuse ; ocelli in a triangle anteriorly 

 placed on the vertex ; antennae filiform and geniculated ; labial palpi 

 4-jointed, the two basal joints elongate, of nearly equal length; the 

 two apical joints minute and subclavate and articulated outside and 

 near the apex of the second joint ; the paraglossce very short, and 

 folding round the base of the tongue ; tongue twice the length of the 

 labium ; the maxillary palpi 2-jointed, short, the basal joint shortest, 

 the apical joint obtuse at the apex and setose; the labrum oblong, 

 with the sides parallel. Thorax subglobose ; anterior wings with 

 one marginal and two submarginal cells, the second submarginal 

 receiving the two recurrent nervures. Abdomen ovate, truncate and 

 concave at the base, the ventral segments clothed with dense pubes- 

 cence in the females, and the apical ones emarginate or dentate in 

 the males. 



Megacliile is the most cosmopolitan of all the genera of bees. 



