270 
BRITISH BEES. 
very acuminate, nearly as long as the tongue; maxillary 
palpi very short, two-jointed, the basal joint the shortest, 
and the terminal one obtuse at its apex, where it is 
furnished with brief setse. Thorax subglobose, pubescent, 
the pubescence almost concealing its divisions; pro¬ 
thorax inconspicuous; mesothorax convex, subglabrous 
on the disk; scutellum lunulate, convex; metathorax 
truncated; wings with two submarginal cells, the com¬ 
mencement of a third slightly indicated, the two com¬ 
plete ones nearly equal, the second of which receives 
both the recurrent nervures, one towards each extremity ; 
legs robust, very setose; the posterior tibia slightly 
curved longitudinally, concavo-convex, broad at the ex¬ 
tremity; all the plantce as long as their tibiae and as 
broad at the base but decreasing at the apex to the 
width of the following tarsal joints, the anterior pair 
fimbriated externally, and the posterior pair clothed, on 
the inner surface, with a dense, short brush, the three 
following joints short, subequal, the claw-joint as long 
as the three, and the claws with a broad basal inner 
tooth. Abdomen ovate, with parallel sides, convex 
above, truncated and concave at its base to fit the meta- 
thorax, distended horizontally in length, or with an up¬ 
ward curve, the four first segments slightly constricted, 
and their edges usually clothed with decumbent down; 
the terminal segment obtusely pointed and slightly de¬ 
pressed transversely towards its extremity; the ventral 
segments commencing with the second, clothed with 
parallel layers of moderately long, straight setse, which 
in each parallel are of equal length, but those on the 
fifth segment are the shortest, upon all of which the in¬ 
sect conveys the pollen it collects. 
The females of the second division of the genus 
scarcely differ. 
