Hymenoptera aculeata collected in Algeria. 523 



to May 3rd, 1895 ; and November 25th, 1896 to July 

 22nd, 1897). Altitude about 360 feet. From the end of 

 November until the end of January scarcely a bee is to 

 be seen. Spring opens in February ; Acanthyllis traga- 

 canthoides amongst the stony wastes ; Moricandia on allu- 

 vial soil of finer texture in the outskirts of the oasis and 

 on the hills; and within the range of irrigation, on pastures 

 amongst the gardens and palms, herbaceous Zegicminosse 

 and Composite provide attractions to Aculeate hymenop- 

 tera. Species of Tamarix in the neighbourhood of the 

 river and in gardens blossom irregularly from the end of 

 March onwards, and demand much attention during April, 

 when also Peganum harmala, a roadside plant, yields some 

 interesting insects. Then Zizyphus lotus gives much em- 

 ployment to the net-man well on into May, growing 

 amongst the stony wastes and along the borders of the 

 river valley. After that, from the middle of May onwards 

 into July, Ammi visnaga, a white- flowered umbelliferous 

 weed on the drier parts of irrigated land, is enough to 

 monopolize the whole attention of the most assiduous 

 Hymenopterist, although there are many small plants on 

 the stony wastes to be ranged over. 



Subsidiary sites and places. — Fort St. Germains, adjoin- 

 ing the main conduit and the public gardens opposite the 

 railway-station ; a smaller garden near the market-place 

 and school ; Koute de Sidi Okba, passing the village Negre 

 near Jardin Landon on the near side of the river-bed, Oued 

 Biskra ; Route de Tougourt, passing the M'zabite and 

 Moslem cemeteries, vieux Biskra and the outlying oasis 

 of Cora, and passing to the right of M'cid on either side 

 are mule-tracks amongst the enclosures and palms. Route 

 des Zibans, towards the south-west, leading through the 

 area of irrigation exterior to the palm-groves, past a Mara- 

 bout-tomb to the dunes near the Sources d'Oumach ; Pare 

 de Beni Mora and the rocky ridge (with a rifle-range at its 

 north base), interrupted in two or three places, extending to 

 and beyond the Montagne de Sable. The tram-line and road 

 to the hot baths, Hammam es Salahin, a nulla or donga 

 between them and Beni Mora; the stream from the Ham- 

 mam, the sand-hills west of the stream, an extinct source 

 in the form of a crater-shaped hill and another near this 

 (a circular reed-fringed pond) known as the Petit Lac, and 

 the ridge in the background that attains in that neigh- 

 bourhood a height of about 1600 feet. The Route de Stora 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1901. — PART IV. (DEC.) 35 



