HALICTUS. 31 



the femora darkest. Abdomen ovate, the apical margins of the 

 segments depressed, and with fasciae of pale fulvous pubescence. 



Hab. Ceylon. 



3. Halictus timidus. 



Female. Length 2\ lines. — Black, with the base of the abdomen 

 rufo-testaceous. Head orbiculate, the face covered with short 

 downy white pubescence ; the mandibles ferruginous ; the antennae 

 rufo-piceous. Thorax thinly pubescent above, on the sides, beneath, 

 and on the legs cinereous, and very bright and glittering on the 

 tibiae and tarsi, the legs being pale ferruginous ; wings hyaline and 

 iridescent, the nervures and tegulae rufo-testaceous, the post- 

 scutellum with white pubescence. Abdomen with the three basal 

 segments rufo-testaceous, the following segments obscure rufo- 

 fuscous; the apical margins of the third, fourth, and fifth seg- 

 ments pale testaceous and fringed with pale pubescence, as are 

 also the margins of the ventral segments. 



Hab. Ceylon. 



4. Halictus proximatns. 



Female. Length 4 lines. — Black ; head and thorax subopaque, abdo- 

 men shining. Head rotundate, very closely and finely punctured, 

 the clypeus with a few strong punctures. The thorax closely punc- 

 tured, the pubescence cinereous ; that on the tibiae and tarsi slightly 

 fulvous, very bright ; the posterior femora with a dense fimbria of 

 white pubescence ; the wings hyaline and iridescent, the nervures 

 and stigma fusco-ferruginous ; the enclosed space at the base of 

 the metathorax rugose. Abdomen very bright, the puncturing 

 very fine, scarcely perceptible on the basal segment ; on the basal 

 margin of the second and third segments laterally there is a 

 little white tomentum ; the apical segment with griseous pubes- 

 cence, that on the margins of the anal rima faintly fulvous. 



Hab. Hakodate, Japan. 



This species is extremely like Halictus leucozonius of Europe : it 

 differs from it in having the head orbiculate ; in the European insect 

 the clypeus is produced. 



5. Halictus familiaris. 



Female. Length 3± lines. — Black, the head and thorax closely and 

 finely punctured, slightly shining ; abdomen ovate, very smooth 

 and shining. The clypeus produced and shining, finely punc- 

 tured, the apex sparingly so ; the flagellum of the antennae ob- 

 scurely fulvous beneath. The pubescence on the sides of the thorax, 

 beneath, and on the legs very pale fulvous, brightest on the tibiae 

 and tarsi ; the wings hyaline and iridescent, the nervures pale tes- 



