PACHYMELT/S. 117 



near the apex of the second joint. Maodllary palpi 5-jointed, the 

 joints clavate ; the first joint short, the second joint about twice the 

 length of the first, the third shorter than the second, the two apical 

 ones of about equal length, each being shorter than the third joint. 

 Anterior zuings with one elongate marginal cell as long as the three 

 submarginals united ; the first submarginal as long as the two fol- 

 lowing, the second obliquely quadrate, the third a little longer than 

 the second and slightly widened at the apex; the first recurrent 

 nervure uniting with the second trans verso-median nervure, the 

 second recurrent uniting with the third transverse nervure. Thorax 

 globose ; legs stout ; the posterior tibiee and basal joint of the tarsi 

 densely pubescent. Abdomen oblong-ovate. 



1. Pachymelus micrelephas. 



Female. Length 15 lines. — Black ; the abdomen with short fulvous 

 pubescence. The front with a mixture of black and griseous pu- 

 bescence; the labrum and the mandibles beneath fringed with 

 black hairs. Thorax densely clothed with pale ochraceous pubes- 

 cence, usually more or less abraded on the disk of the mesothorax, 

 which is smooth and shining and has a central impressed line ; 

 the scutellum bituberculate ; wings subhyaline at their base, and 

 clouded with reddish brown beyond the enclosed cells ; the ner- 

 vures black, the tegulae obscure rufo-piceous ; legs pubescent, on the 

 anterior pair it is dark ; all the femora fringed beneath with pale 

 testaceous, the intermediate tibiae and tarsi with pale fulvous above, 

 the posterior tibiae and tarsi with bright pale fulvo-ochraceous, that 

 on the basal joint of the tarsi within is black ; all the claws bifid. 

 Abdomen with short fulvo-ferruginous pubescence ; the fifth and 

 sixth segments thickly fringed with pale fulvous pubescence ; the 

 sixth segment with an oblong angulated naked space in the middle ; 

 the margins of the segments beneath fringed with pale fulvous 

 pubescence. 



Hab. Madagascar. 



The specimen of this gigantic bee described is not in good condi- 

 tion ; the wings are ragged at the margins, and there can be no 

 doubt of the general pubescence being bleaehed : in a good example 

 the abdomen would be covered with short rufo-ferruginous pubes- 

 cence, of which only patches are found in the single specimen re- 

 ceived. The only bee known of a larger size is a species of the genus 

 Megachile, discovered by Mr. Wallace in Batchian, M. pluto, which 

 is 18| lines long. 



2. Pachymelus conspicuus. 



Female. Length 9 lines. — Black ; the abdomen with rufo-ferru- 

 ginous pubescence. The labrum, the clypeus, and also the base 

 of the mandibles whitish ; the clypeus with a bilobed black spot 



