Insects. 2167 



Descriptions of the British Species of Bees belonging to the Genus 

 Halictus of Latreille. By Frederick Smith, Esq., Curator to the 

 Entomological Society. 



(Concluded from page 2108). 



Sp. 16. Halictus interruptus, St. Fargeau. 

 Hylaus interruptus, Panzer. 



Ma le. —(Length 2f lines). Black ; the face clothed with short sil- 

 very pubescence; the apex of the clypeus, the labrum and mandibles 

 yellow, the latter black at their extreme base and ferruginous at their 

 apex ; the antennae fulvous beneath, the scape black. Thorax rather 

 deeply and closely punctured, sometimes a lateral white spot on the 

 collar ; the tegulae piceous ; the nervures rufo-piceous ; the wings hy- 

 aline and iridescent ; the metathorax rugose, rotundate ; all the tibiae 

 at their base and apex, and the tarsi, pale luteous ; the claws ferrugi- 

 nous. Abdomen cylindrical, closely and not very finely punctured ; 

 the basal, and sometimes a portion of the second segment, red ; the 

 second, third and fourth segments have a narrow white marginal fas- 

 cia, interrupted in the centre ; beneath, the margins of the segments 

 depressed and narrowly piceous. 



Of this beautiful little species I only know two cabinets which pos- 

 sess a specimen, — that of the British Museum and of Mr. Desvignes ; 

 they were both captured by Dr. Leach, at Kingsbridge, Devonshire : 

 there is a very good figure of it in Panzer. H. interruptus more 

 closely resembles H. albipes than any other British species, but the 

 antennae are of a different colour beneath, the thorax is more coarsely 

 punctured, and the metathorax has not the sub-defined, half-circular, 

 rugose space, always present in that species; its abdomen also is 

 shorter and more strongly punctured. The species is undoubtedly 

 very local, only two specimens having been met with. 



Sp. 17. Halictus albipes, St. Fargeau. 

 Prosopis albipes, Fab. Syst. Piez. Hylceus albipes, Fab. Ent. Syst. 

 Em. Apis albipes, Panzer. Melitta albipes, Kirby. Meliita obo- 

 vata, Kirby, female. 



Female. — (Length 4 lines). Black ; the face thinly clothed with 

 pale fulvous pubescence ; tips of the mandibles ferruginous ; the an- 



