72 
BRITISH BEES. 
The genus Nomada is the first of the genuine para¬ 
sitical bees, and about the habits of which no doubt can 
be entertained ; certainly not the same as attaches both 
to Hylceus and Sphecodes, among the Andrenida. The 
parasitical habits of Nomada are evident and unmistak¬ 
able. This is the handsomest genus, in variety of colour 
and elegance of form, of all our native bees, but the 
species are never conspicuous for size. They have much 
of the appearance of wasps, and are often mistaken for 
them even by entomologists, who have not paid attention 
to bees. Many of our native species seem limited to 
our own islands : others of our species occur in Trance 
and Germany, and through Denmark in direct line to 
Lapland, turning down into Russia, and have been 
caught as far south as Albania. One of our species, or 
so like as to want distinguishing characteristics, is found 
in Canada. Did ours migrate there ? and how ? The 
genus is of wide distribution, but occurs only north of 
the Equator, where it spreads from Portugal to the 
Philippine Islands. It is found in Siberia and North¬ 
ern China, whence through the Philippines it passes to 
Tranquebar, then up to Northern India, and thence by 
Bagdad to the Morea and Albania, and dips down to 
Northern Africa at Tunis, and on to Oran and Tangiers, 
and completes its circuit in Portugal. It is doubtless 
parasitical upon many more genera and species than we 
find it infest in this country, although all that the several 
species pair off with here are not fully designated, es¬ 
pecially among the Andrence, and smaller Halicti. The 
number of species, British and foreign, known to col¬ 
lectors approximate to a hundred. 
The genus Melecta is another handsome parasitical 
insect. This is always a dark beauty, and is very limited 
