16. BOMBUS. 217 



Yar. /3. The base of the abdomen with an entire fascia of fulvous- 

 yellow pubescence. 

 Yar. y. The base of the abdomen black. 



Worker. Length 5-7 lines. — The pubescence black, the collar has 

 a fulvous-yellow band, the scutellum only an obscure yellow fringe ; 

 the abdomen white at the apex, the second and third segments 

 have a more or less conspicuous white fringe. B.M. 



Male. Length 6-8 lines. — The pubescence on the head black ; the 

 face has sometimes an obscure mixture of pale hairs. Thorax 

 above yellow, having a broad black fascia between the wings ; the 

 sides usually obscurely cinereous. Abdomen — the pubescence yel- 

 low, the second and third segments with a band of black pubes- 

 cence at their base, the second usually narrowest ; the sixth segment 

 has a mixture of black pubescence in the middle. B.M. 



Yar. /3. The black fascise on the abdomen subobsolete, the abdomen 

 and thorax beneath subcinereous. 



The female and worker of this species most closely resemble those 

 of B. subterraneus ; but their pubescence is shorter, and the apical 

 margin of the second segment has always a more or less distinct fringe 

 of white pubescence ; the pubescence on the abdomen of B. subter- 

 raneus is somewhat shaggy, which is not the case in the other 

 species. The males are readily distinguished ; the distinctness of the 

 two species is confirmed by the different form of the male organs. 

 I have taken all the sexes from the nest, and found Apaihus ves- 

 talis living in the communities. 



The female described by Kirby is that of B. subterraneus ; so also 

 is var. {3 ; var. y is the female of B. latreillellus ; var. d is a worker of 

 the same ; var. e is another female of B. subterraneus ; but there is a 

 second var. e, which is a worker of B. latreillellus ; in the Kirbyan 

 type-collection are also four other workers of the same species. 

 This insect is not common in the vicinity of London, but very abun- 

 dant in many localities, particularly so at Folkestone, Dover, and 

 Deal. Several nests were found at Lower Warmer, from which all 

 the sexes were obtained. The nest was situated at the end of a 

 tunnel between three and four feet in length, which ran up a bank, 

 not being more than four or five inches beneath the surface. The 

 nest itself was about a foot and a half from the surface. 



20. Bombus subterraneus. 



B. hirsutus, ater, thorace antice flavescente ano griseo-fusco aut 

 fusco-lutescente. 



Bombus subterraneus, Fabr. Syst. Piez. 350 $ . 

 Illig. Mag. v. 170 S $ ■ 

 Dahlb. Bomb. Scand. 32 tf $ £ . 

 Drews, fy Schiodte, Krby. Tidsskr. ii. 1 16 ? 

 Nyland. Notts, ur Sdllsh. pro Faun, et Flo. Fenn. i. 239. 

 Smith, Bees Great Brit. 232. 

 Thorns. Hym. Scand. ii. 26 ? 



