PLATE CCCCX. 47 



too intereftingto be omitted. We cannot pretend to determine on 



what authority it was introduced into that collection, neither are 

 we inclined to pledge our opinion in favour of its being a genuine 

 Bntiih Infect ; we confider only that it might have been found alive 

 in England, and under this idea may be noticed with propriety in the 

 prefent work. Mr. Kirby did not conlider it as an Englifh Infeft, or 

 he would have introduced it into his Apum Anglic. This infect, like 

 Apis Iricolor, inferted as Britifli in Mr. Kirby's work on the authority 

 of a fpecimen in Dr. Latham's colleaion, is known as a native of the 

 Weft Indies, and may poffibly, as well as that infect, have been 

 brought into England with fome Weft Indian cargoes, and been 

 afterwards difcovered by accident at large in the country. Many 

 well authenticated inftances of this kind have occurred within our 

 own knowledge. Aware of this, we cannot confiftently admit an 

 extra European infect as an aborigine, but as an occasional wan- 

 derer from the tropic regions found alive in this country; and which, 

 from its habits of life, might even become the origin of a future 

 Britifli fpecies. 



We fhould rather fufpecl from the appearance of the infect, that 

 it has been introduced in fome piece of timber imported from the 

 American iflands, for it is of the fame natural family as the Apis 

 Centimcularisj or Carpenter Bee, which is well known to undergo 

 its various transformations in centiraculi, or fmali cells formed of 

 leaves, and depofited in Large hollow cavities bored through the 

 timber by the parent female : this is not in the leait unlikely, as this 

 tribe of infects remain for a coniiderable period of time in the egg. 

 larva, and pupa ftate, that the infect might have been depofited in 

 the ego - ftate in the Weft Indies, and was not liberated from its con- 

 finement till the timber, in which it was concealed, arrived in England. 

 The infect is fhewn of its natural fize in the annexed plate. 



Tills fpecies feems to be the infect defcribed by Fabricius, as above 

 referred to * and has not, we believe, been figured by any author. 



PLATE 



