1742 Insects. 



the male finding them so constantly in company : the species is com- 

 mon in April and May, particularly on Hampstead Heath. The male 

 in the Kirbyan collection is much mutilated : I think it is much too 

 large an insect to belong to varians : I have so frequently observed 

 the sexes described sporting together, that I have little doubt they 

 are correctly paired. 



Sp. 26. Andrena helvola, Fab. 

 Apis helvola, Linn. Melitta helvola, Kirby. 



Female. — (Length 5 — 5 J lines). Black ; the face clothed with a 

 pale yellow pubescence ; the antennae nigro-piceous beneath. Tho- 

 rax clothed above with rufo-fulvous pubescence ; the tegulae ferrugi- 

 nous ; the wings hyaline, their apical margins slightly clouded, the 

 nervures testaceous ; the legs have a rufo-fulvous pubescence ; the 

 femora beneath are fringed with white hair ; the floccus white ; the 

 scopa pale fulvous, palest beneath ; the apical joints of the anterior 

 tarsi, and the whole of the intermediate and posterior pairs, ferru- 

 ginous. Abdomen oblong-ovate, clothed with a grayish pubescence, 

 having a patch of fulvous hair at the base. 



Male. — (Length 4j — 5 lines). Black ; the head rather wider than 

 the thorax ; the clypeus clothed with long white hair, tinged with yel- 

 low at the base of the antennae. Thorax clothed above with rufo-ful- 

 vous ; the wings hyaline, iridescent, slightly clouded at their apical 

 margins ; the apical joints of the tarsi ferruginous. Abdomen ovate- 

 lanceolate, and has a patch of fulvous hair at the base, sometimes ob- 

 solete ; beneath, the margins of the segments are ciliated with white 

 hair. 



This species is not so abundant as the preceding, but is by 

 no means uncommon. The female varies in the colour of its pubes- 

 cence, being very liable to fade from exposure, that on the abdomen 

 being in very recent individuals pale fulvous. The male which 

 1 have described seems to be identical with Mr. Kirby's an gulosa ; 

 that in the Kirbyan collection is almost entirely mutilated, but I do 

 not think it is identical with mine, it being much larger. I cannot 

 think Mr. Kirby's male correctly united, but the males of this genus 

 vary very much both in size and colouring. 



Sp. 27. Andrena Gwynana. 

 Melitta Gwynana, Kirby. 



Female. — (Length 5 — 5| lines). Black ; the face clothed with 



