Page:The Zoologist, 1st series, vol 4 (1846).djvu/282

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1448
Insects.

band, the apical segment compressed, with a deep transverse fovea on each side; beneath, a longish fringe of white hairs on the margin of the first and second segment, the apical segment deeply concave.

This species has hitherto been rare in cabinets ; there is a specimen of each sex in the Kirbyan cabinet, taken by Mr. Trimmer near Ham- mersmith, where I have myself frequently searched for it but without success : it no doubt, like its congener, nidificates in decaying posts and rails, and therefore whole colonies will be destroyed occasionally when such are replaced by sound timber. I detected three specimens of the female amongst a mass of unarranged bees in the possession of Mr. Ingall, and one I obtained fi-om a collector, captured in Hainault Forest : I have not met with the species myself. The other species, the H. Campanularum, is abundant in many situations ; I have met with large colonies in posts, rails, &c. ; it is also to be met with, as Mr. Kirby observes, in the flowers of various species of Campanula.

Sp. 2. Heriades Campanularum.

Female. — Length 2¼–2½ lines. Black, thickly and finely punc- tured ; the mandibles bidentate, ferruginous at the apex ; the antennae clavate ; the thorax has a slight hoary pubescence at the sides ; the wings slightly fuscous ; the abdomen cylindric, the apical segment very finely and thinly clothed with pale hair ; beneath densely clothed with pale yellow hair.

Male. — Length 2–2¼ lines. The antennæ filiform ; the face be- low the antennae clothed with pale yellow hair ; the thorax has a thin scattered pale pubescence, and the wings are slightly fuscous ; the ab- domen inflexed, acutely bidentate at the apex ; beneath, the second segment is elevated into a tubercle, and the fifth is deeply concave and clothed with pale hair.


Genus. — Ceratina, Latreille, St. Fargeau.
Apis, Linnæus, Kirby. Megilla, Fabricius. Pithitis, Klug.
Clavicera, Walcknaer.

Body elongate : antennae subclavate : maxillary palpi 6-jointed ; labial palpi 2-jointed : fore-wings with three sub-marginal cells. Only one species of this genus has been discovered in Britain.

Sp. 1. Ceratina cærulea, Latreille.

Female. — Length 2¾–3¼ hues. Shining blue or blue-green,