606 Insects. 



which, together with his other British bees, will be placed in the ca- 

 binet of the Entomological Club. I possess a single specimen, which 

 I formerly considered an extreme variety of N. ruficornis. 



These are all the British species with which I am acquainted. I 

 am aware that here and there an odd specimen may be found not at 

 first sight determinable, but the individuals of this Protean genus run 

 into such extremes that the capture of multitudes alone will show the 

 great range of variety in some species, as in cornigera, Solidaginis, 

 ruficornis, &c. 



There are two undescribed specimens in the British Museum ca- 

 binet, placed there, I believe, by Dr. Leach ; but there being no 

 means of ascertaining with certainty either the place of their capture 

 or by whom they were taken, I hesitate to describe them, and think 

 it better to wait until future discovery proves them to be indigenous. 

 I have been extremely careful not to sink any species into a variety 

 without very satisfactory evidence in support of my views, and if I 

 have committed any error in that respect it has arisen from circum- 

 stances which, from their complex nature, render it pardonable to err 

 in the endeavour to unravel them ; but I hope the bringing together 

 of the sexes in many instances will prove a step towards a perfect ar- 

 rangement. It will be found that the thirty-one species described in 

 Kirby's Monograph are reduced to fifteen ; eight of these are sexes 

 which I have united to their partners, and eight are mere varieties ; 

 six species new to the British list are added. The descriptions may 

 perhaps appear unnecessarily lengthened, but in a genus whose spe- 

 cific distinctions depend almost entirely on their colouring I am of 

 opinion that minuteness in pointing out that particular is indispensa- 

 ble. I have omitted to mention sculpturing, as I found the species 

 very similar in that respect, and after all by colour the species must 

 be recognised. I have entered, in fact, no further into minutiae than 

 I deem sufficient to discriminate the species. 



F. Smith. 

 5, High-street, Newington Butts, 

 June, 1844. 



