BEES IN TEE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM.— COCKERELL. 301 
honey pots are placed in separate positions, and are up to half an inch in diameter. 
Wax is very dark cream colour, but produces best of clear wax on being melted. 
Brood nest is a globular pile of pillular cells, somewhat less than an eighth of an 
inch in diameter, between which the bees can pass, opening being at top or inclined 
slightly in direction in which extension may be proceeding. All building proceeds 
upwards from ' base,’ and as the young emerge at the bottom of the brood nest the 
old cells are cast out and a new brood nest starts and replaces the old one as it matures 
and is cast out. Diameter of nest varies with strength of colony. Period from deposit 
of egg to emergence is 65 days, extending to 70 days in cold weather. These cells 
are filled with food ; the queen at once deposits egg on surface of food and cell is 
quickly closed by one worker ; this filling to closing applies to all four varieties 
sent.” 
With the bees, Mr. Hookings sends some flies, larvae, pupse, and adults, 
collected (where ?) Jan. 1888, and labelled as parasites of Trigona (what species ?). 
They are a species of Cerioides , rather related to the Indian G. ornatifrons (Brunotti), 
but considerably larger. They are not really parasites 
Trigona carbonaria Smith. 
Mi'. Hockings sends many specimens from Moreton, with these notes : — 
44 Karbi (native name). Is known from same district as Kootchar, and is at least 
as widely distributed. Entrance to hive is surrounded by an area of sticky resinous 
substance ; honey and pollen pots are jumbled together indiscriminately, and are 
distinguishable only by breaking. Wax is dark chocolate. Brood nest see No. 3.” 
The pale hair on the dorsum of thorax has sparse black bristles intermixed. 
The flagellum is dark beneath, with at most a little red at base and more at apex. 
On re-examining the type of T. angophorw Cockerell 1 find no very substantial 
difference. The face at level of antennae is of practically the same width, and the 
thoracic hah is essentially the same. The wings are unusually dusky, and the 
flagellum is ferruginous beneath. I think we must write T. carbonaria angophorce > 
at least until the form is better known. 
Trigona carbonaria hockingsi n. subsp. 
Cape York Peninsula, a series sent by Mr. Hockings under his No. 3. It is 
distinctly larger than T. carbonaria (thus much too large for T. birsi Friesc), and 
has the flagellum clear red beneath. The scutellum has much coarse black hair. 
Mr. Hockings wTites : 44 It resembles No. 2 ( T . carbonaria) in all respects, except 
that it is larger, and it builds a large cellular excrescence over the hive entrance 
and approaches ; it is composed of resinous substance and dirt. The bees pass through 
its passages into the entrance. Wax dark choloeate. Brood nest is a one-sided 
comb in Nos. 2 and 3 ; it is constructed upwards, held in position by a framework 
of wax rods ; it is in the form of a spiral staircase compressed, the middle region 
usually having the greatest diameter. The individual cells are larger than those 
of No. 2. As emergence ensues the brood nest is replaced as in all other varieties.” 
The T. carbonaria which I collected at Port Darwin have the flagellum rather 
obscurely reddened beneath, and coarse black hair on the scutellum, so they must 
really be referred to hockingsi , rather than to carbonaria proper. Perhaps hockingsi 
should Stand as a distinct species ; it is more distinct from carbonaria than is 
angophorce. 
