Insects. 2105 



thorax, move dense on the sides ; the tegulae nigro-piceous ; the 

 wings hyaline ; the nervures piceous ; legs nigro-piceous, the pu- 

 bescence pale fulvous, bright fulvous on the tarsi beneath ; all the 

 tarsi ferruginous. Abdomen widest towards the apex, nigro-piceous, 

 darkest towards the apex, very smooth and shining : the apical seg- 

 ments have a fine short pale pubescence ; the margins of the segments 

 beneath have a long thin fringe of pale hair. 



This species was unique in the Kirbyan cabinet until the last sea- 

 son, when the son of the Rev. Mr. Dawson captured a single speci- 

 men in the Isle of Wight, which I detected amongst a collection of 

 bees made in that locality. Mr. Dawson obligingly presented the 

 specimen to me, and I have therefore been able to point out some 

 additional peculiarities, — Mr. Kirby's insect having now lost its head, 

 and being much faded and mutilated. The male is not known. I 

 suspect the species is extremely local ; mine came from Ventnor. So 

 exceedingly smooth is the abdomen, that no punctures are observable, 

 even under a Codrington lens. The species is easily discriminated : 

 the abdomen may be termed subclavate in form. 



Sp. 13. ETalictus villosulus. 

 Melitta villosula, Kirby, male. Melitta punctulata, Kirby, female. 



Female. — (Length 3 J — 4 lines). Black; a little thin pale pu- 

 bescence on the face ; the apex of the mandibles ferruginous. Tho- 

 rax shining, regularly, deeply, but not very closely punctured ; the 

 metathorax rotundate ; the wings subhy aline, iridescent ; the nervures 

 nigro-piceous ; the pubescence on the legs pale ochraceous ; on the 

 tarsi beneath it is fulvous ; the apical joints of the tarsi ferruginous. 

 Abdomen subovate, shining, very delicately and closely punctured, 

 the basal segment very smooth and shining ; a little thin pale pu- 

 bescence at the sides and towards the apex ; that at the apex is pale 

 fulvous. 



Male.— (Length 2 \ lines). Black; the face clothed with short 

 white pubescence ; the antennae not quite so long as the head and 

 thorax, fulvous beneath ; scape black. Thorax shining, regularly but 

 not closely punctured, clothed with griseous pubescence, frequently 

 obliterated on the disk ; the tegulae nigro-piceous, the nervures the 

 same ; wings hyaline, iridescent ; legs nigro-piceous ; the tarsi rufo- 

 piceous. Abdomen subovate, convex, shining, regularly but very 

 delicately punctate, also having a thin rather long pubescence towards 

 the apex. 



