Insects. 



Ill 



off. All the males of the present genus are exceedingly active insects, 

 and sport from flower to flower in the sunshine ; 

 consequently their appearance soon changes : 

 but the outer margin of the sixth segment, and 

 the oblong ovate abdomen, will distinguish the 

 male of O. bicolor from the other species. This 

 insect appears early in the spring, at the latter 

 end of March, if the weather prove favourable. « 

 It is a local species. 1 have met with it at Pur- 

 fleet (Essex), and at Gravesend, in April. In d 

 the immediate neighbourhood of London it is c 

 scarce, but I have taken it at Brompton. It is 

 numerous in the vicinity of Bristol. 



Sp. 10. Osmia Hedera, Smith. 



Male. — Length 4 lines. Nigro-aeneous. The 

 head finely and closely punctured; face clothed 

 with longish white hairs, gradually becoming 

 ochraceous towards the vertex, on which they 

 are thinly scattered ; the cheeks clothed with 

 long white hair ; the antennae filiform, as long as 

 the head and thorax. Thorax finely punctured ; 

 above, the pubescence is ochraceous, beneath, 

 hoary. The tarsi are fulvous beneath ; claws 

 ferruginous ; the calcaria testaceous. The ab- 

 domen is obscurely punctate, the margins of 

 the first, second and third segments are thinly 



3 



Fig. 1. Represents the section of a Snail-shell, showing the disposition of the cocoons of Osn^'a tunensis. 



Fig. 2. Represents four nests of Osmia xanthomelana. a. Cell without the lid. b. Cell with the concave 

 lid partly constructed, c. A cell closed in. d. A section showing the smooth interior of a cell ; the cells are 

 generally inserted in the ground to about the depth of this figure. 



Fig. 3. Represents a bramble stick split open, showing the manner in which Osmia leucomelana excavates 

 her tunnel, also the alternate widening and contracting of that portion intended as receptacles of the pollen 

 and honey. Cells a and b show the egg deposited on the food : c d and e, the larva in progressive states. 



2h 2 



