Insects. 1749 



Sp. 39. Andrena bidentata. 

 Melitta bidentata, Kirby. 



Male. — (Length 4|- lines). Black; the face clothed with longish 

 yellow pubescence ; the apex of the clypeus has two acute teeth placed 

 laterally, between which the labrum projects, forming a third large 

 obtuse tooth, which is concave beneath ; the antennae nearly as long 

 as the head and thorax, piceous beneath. Thorax clothed above 

 with a dense rufo-fulvous pubescence ; the tegulae piceous ; the wings 

 hyaline, their apical margins slightly clouded ; the legs rufo-piceous, 

 their pubescence pale fulvous ; the tarsi testaceous. Abdomen sub- 

 ovate, the margins of the segments rather thickly fringed with pale 

 fulvous pubescence, the margins slightly piceous ; beneath, the mar- 

 gins are also fringed in a similar manner ; the pubescence, however, 

 is longer and rather thinner. 



There is that close resemblance between this bee and the A. Smith- 

 ella, that I quite agree with Mr. Kirby in suspecting that it is the 

 male of that species. I have not seen it in any cabinet except the 

 Kirbyan ; it is doubtless a very local insect. Mr. Kirby's came from 

 Melton, in Suffolk, captured in August. 



Sp. 40. Andrena nigriceps. 

 Melitta nigriceps, Kirby. 



Female. — (Length 5 — 5j lines). Black; the pubescence on the 

 face black ; the antennae piceous beneath ; the vertex has a fringe of 

 fulvous hair on its margin ; the disk of the thorax densely clothed 

 with rufo-fulvous pubescence, rather paler on the sides and metatho- 

 rax ; the tegulae ferruginous ; the wings hyaline, slightly clouded on 

 their apical margins, their nervures dark ferruginous ; the pubescence 

 on the legs black ; the floccus sooty-black ; the apical joints of the 

 tarsi ferruginous. Abdomen ovate, sub-depressed ; the four basal 

 segments have a broad fascia of fulvous pubescence ; the anal fimbria 

 black. 



This is a very rare species ; there are two specimens in the Kir- 

 byan cabinet, one in that of the British Museum, the same in Mr. 

 Desvignes and my own. I am indebted to Mr. Dale for my speci- 

 men, who captured one or two last year. I do not know the male. 

 Mr. Kirby has given a short description of one which he thought 

 v 2b 



