15. ANTHOPHOEA. 191 



terior tibiae and basal joint of the tarsi clothed exteriorly with fulvo- 

 ferruginous pubescence ; the calcaria black. B.M. 



Male. Length 7-8 lines. — Black ; the scape in front, the clypeus, 

 and face on each side, a transverse line above the clypeus, the 

 labrum, and a spot at the base of the mandibles yellow ; a black 

 spot on each side at the base of the labrum and clypeus ; the 

 vertex, thorax above, and two basal segments of the abdomen 

 clothed with fulvous pubescence, that on the thorax beneath cine- 

 reous ; the intermediate legs elongate, the basal joint of their tarsi 

 having a short thick black fringe at the apex in front, and having, 

 as well as the three following joints, a thin fringe of long black 

 hair behind, the apical joint fringed with long black hair on both 

 sides ; the posterior tibiae have a white fringe on their hinder mar- 

 gin ; the apical segments of the abdomen clothed with black pubes- 

 cence ; the calcaria black. B.M. 



This bee is found in all parts of the United Kingdom. Extensive 

 colonies are frequently met with ; one of the largest I ever observed 

 was in the chalk-pits at Northneet ; in the month of April so great 

 were their numbers, that a dark flickering shadow was cast on the 

 ground from the countless numbers assembled. This is the " wild 

 bee " which Gilbert White observed in such numbers in the trenches 

 of the Danish Camp, on Mount Carbon, near Lewes, which he de- 

 scribes, in his ' History of Selborne,' as " dashing round the heads 

 of intruders, with a sharp and hostile sound." 



AnthojpJiora acervorum is considered by some continental en- 

 tomologists to be synonymous with A. pilipes, Fabr. I have taken 

 great trouble in order to obtain the sexes of A. pilipes ; from France 

 I have received a male very much like that of A. acervorum, but a 

 female clothed with fulvo-cinereous pubescence ; the same have been 

 sent from Westphalia and also from Copenhagen ; in this country 

 no light-coloured female has to my knowledge been taken. 



The parasite of this bee is Melecta armata, whose incursions are 

 described by Shuckard as being very repugnant to it ; he describes 

 their attacking each other with fierce pugnacity. I have never wit- 

 nessed any such combats, and imagine the circumstance must have 

 arisen from some temporary cause, and is not part of the natural 

 economy of the insect. 



Two hermaphrodite specimens of this species have been captured : 

 one was taken at Bristol, and is in the collection formed by the late 

 Mr. Walcott of that city ; the second example was captured by myself 

 in April 1836, in a garden at Barnes. A description of this remark- 

 able insect was published in the ' Entomological Magazine ;' and two 

 figures of it are given in the third volume of the ' Zoologist,' p. 890 : 

 in it the female character predominates • but one side of the face 

 is male in colour, the antennae on that side being thirteen -jointed ; 

 and the intermediate leg is male, the tarsi being elongated and 

 fringed with long hair ; the other legs are also male. 



