408 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



with a colony of M. willughbiella, E.C.T. and 

 K.N. 

 C. acuminata, Nyl. — Once taken on sandhills at 



Wallasey. 

 C. mandibulars, Nyl. — This is another notable bee in 

 onr local list. A single specimen was taken 

 among the sandhills at Wallasey in July, 1900, 

 by Mr. F. Birch, being the first and only time 

 that the insect has occurred in Great Britain, r. 

 ' k Ent. Mon. Mag.," Jnly, 1901, p. 166-167. 

 This Cailioxys is probably inqniline npon 

 some species of the genns Megachile, colonies 

 of which should be watched in our .district ; 

 but although the bee is fairly distributed upon 

 the Continent, its actual host has not yet been 

 discovered. It is to be hoped that further ex- 

 amples may be found at Wallasey, and that the 

 life history of the species may be worked out 

 there. 



From other members of the genus C. man- 

 dibularis may be distinguished best by the form 

 of its mandibles ; these are produced into a dis- 

 tinct angle near the centre of the anterior side, 

 just above the base of the apical groove. To see 

 this fully the insect should be turned on its back 

 and the mandibles examined from behind. There 

 are also various other minor points of difference. 

 Megachih, Latr. — These bees, whose cleverlv constructed 

 cells have long been the admiration of naturalists, 

 are popularly known as " Leaf Cutters." They 

 burrow gregariously in various situations, e.g., 

 in decayed wood (M. centuncularis, willughbiella, 

 lignesceca and versicolor), in sandy ground (M. 

 centuncularis, circumcinta, maritima, argentata 



