2106 Insects. 



I have no doubt upon my mind as to the propriety of uniting the 

 sexes described as distinct species by Mr. Kirby. I have taken the 

 two in company on many occasions, and once found punctulata in 

 great abundance in Hampshire : a colony had established themselves 

 in the pathway of a garden ; here I took the males in company. 

 Where colonies of bees are found, the males are frequently found 

 early in the morning, and not to be met with later in the day. This 

 species appears to be generally distributed. 



Sp. 14. Halictus malachurus. 

 Melitta malachura, Kirby. 



Female. — (Length 4 — 4f lines). Black; the head and thorax 

 closely punctured ; the apex of the mandibles ferruginous. Thorax, 

 the tegulse nigro-piceous ; the wings subhyaline ; the nervures pi- 

 ceous ; the pubescence on the thorax is pale fulvous ; the disk nearly 

 naked ; the pubescence on the legs is pale fulvous, on the tarsi be- 

 neath rufo-ferruginous ; the apical joints of the tarsi ferruginous. 

 Abdomen oblong-ovate, smooth and shining, widest towards the apex, 

 clothed, except the basal segment, with a short, pale, fulvous, downy 

 pile, visible in certain lights, more dense towards and at the apex ; 

 the margins of the segments narrowly piceous ; the segments beneath 

 have a long pale fulvous fringe. 



This insect I found not uncommon, some years ago, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Brentford, which is the locality named by Mr. Kirby ; 

 also near the suspension-bridge, Hammersmith. I never met with its 

 male. The species is easily distinguished by not having the usual 

 marginal fascia on the abdomen, for although that is common also to 

 punctulata, and three or four of the smaller species, still malachurus is 

 a much larger insect than any other destitute of the marginal fascia. 

 The single specimen which Mr. Kirby described from is one of the 

 smallest I have seen. I captured this species in July. 



Sp. 15. Halictus abdominalis. 

 Hylceus abdominalis, Panzer, male. Apis bicincta, Schrank ? Ha- 

 lictus albipes, St. Fargeau. Andrena vulpina, Fab., Panzer, 

 female. Halictus vulpina, St. Fargeau. Halictus terebrator, 

 Walckenaer. 



Female. — (Length 4 — 5£ lines). Black; head and thorax closely 

 punctured ; the face thinly clothed with fulvous pubescence. Thorax 



