Insects. 1917 



pubescence, intermixed with fulvous ; the antennae not quite so long 

 as the head and thorax. Thorax clothed with pale ochraceous ; the 

 wings hyaline, very slightly clouded at their margins. Abdomen 

 ovate-lanceolate, the three basal segments thinly clothed with short 

 ochraceous pubescence ; on the apical segments it is black ; the mar- 

 gins of the segments, excepting the basal one, have a fascia of ochra- 

 ceous hair. 



The specimens described were captured in coitu. The pubescence 

 in this species is very subject to fade, particularly in the males ; it 

 becomes white in that sex. Mr. Kirby's M. contigua is a variety of 

 the male. The species is very generally distributed, aud is very 

 abundant : it appears in April and May. 



Sp. 47. Andrena chrysosceles. 

 Melitta chrysosceles, Kirby. 



Female. — (Length 4 — 4j lines). Black ; on the clypeus a little 

 silvery pubescence, and a few pale fulvous hairs at the base of the 

 antennas and along the margin of the vertex ; a line of short fulvous 

 pile along the inner margin of the eyes ; one or two of the apical joints 

 of the antennas rufo-fulvous beneath. Thorax, the pubescence is ful- 

 vous on the disk, but very thin ; on the metathorax it is thicker and 

 paler ; on the disk, parallel with the tegulae, on each side is a slight 

 scratch ; the tegulae testaceous, as well as the nervures ; the wings 

 iridescent, sub-fuscous, slightly clouded at their margins ; the legs 

 nigro-piceous ; the floccus white ; the scopa of a golden yellow, having 

 in some lights a white reflection ; the posterior tibiae and all the tarsi 

 testaceous. Abdomen sub-ovate, shining, and finely punctured ; the 

 margins of the second, third and fourth segments have a white fascia, 

 the two first interrupted ; the apical fimbria fulvous. 



Male. — (Length 3 \ — 4 lines). Black ; the clypeus pale yellow, 

 with two black spots. Thorax, the pubescence on the disk pale ful- 

 vous, on the sides and legs beneath it is white; the tegulae and 

 nervures testaceous ; the wings iridescent, hyaline, and slightly clouded 

 at their margins; the apex of the posterior tibiae and all the tarsi tes- 

 taceous. Abdomen lanceolate, the margins of the segments narrowly 

 piceous, having laterally a slight fringe of pale hair; that on the api- 

 cal segment is pale golden yellow. 



This is rather a local species : I never found it in any abundance. 

 It is met with at Hampstead, Charlton, Weybridge, &c. It is partial 

 v 2z 



