1738 Insects. 



ovate, having a thin short pale pubescence, and also a fascia of the 

 same colour on the margins of the segments ; the anal fimbria dark 

 brown. 



Male. — (Length 5 — 6j lines). Black; the face clothed with a 

 brown-black pubescence ; the antennas nearly as long as the head and 

 thorax, the joints sub-arcuate. Thorax above has a rufo-fulvous pu- 

 bescence ; the wings subhyaline, slightly clouded at their margins ; 

 the apical joints of the anterior and intermediate tarsi rufous, and the 

 apex of the posterior tibiae and the tarsi rufous. Abdomen lanceolate, 

 with a thin pale rufous pubescence. 



Var. — The posterior tibiae almost or entirely rufous. 



The sexes of this species I have taken in copula. Mr. Kirby's Me- 

 litta atriceps is the male. This bee is one of the most abundant of 

 the genus ; I have taken it as early as the end of March. 



Sp. 20. Andrena Mouffetella. 

 Melitta Mouffetella, Kirby. 



Female.— (Length 6 lines). Black ; the face has a pale fulvous pu- 

 bescence, but that along the margins of the eyes and on the vertex is 

 dark brown, on the cheeks it is nearly white. Thorax above is 

 clothed with a fulvous pubescence, beneath it is nearly white ; the 

 tegulae rufo-piceous ; the wings hyaline, slightty clouded at their 

 margins ; the nervures testaceous ; the posterior tibiae, the intermedi- 

 ate and posterior tarsi, and apical joints of the anterior pair rufous ; 

 all the femora have a fringe of very pale hair, nearly white, as is also 

 the floccus ; the scopa is bright fulvous. Abdomen subovate, con- 

 vex, and has a nigro-aeneous tinge, thinly clothed with pale fulvous 

 hair ; the margins of the segments are piceous, and have a thin fringe 

 of pale fulvous hair; beneath, rufo-piceous at the base. 



Male. — (Length 4j — 5 lines). Black; the face has a little fulvous 

 pubescence at the base of the antennae, but on the clypeus, and along 

 the inner margin of the eyes it is dark brown ; the antennae as long as 

 the head and thorax, the joints slightly arcuate. Thorax has a pale 

 fulvous pubescence ; the tegulae rufo-piceous ; the wings hyaline, 

 their nervures testaceous ; all the tarsi and the apex of the posterior 

 tibiae ferruginous. Abdomen oblong-ovate, with a thin pale fulvous 

 pubescence. 



This species is rare in cabinets ; in the Kirbyan there are three or 

 four. I have a single specimen of the female which I captured on 

 Iloldersliot Heath, Hants: I have only seen one or two others, 1 

 think in the cabinet of Mr. Curtis. 



