88
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
burrows may be 10 inches long and are often branched. Some
species prefer banks or slopes and others level spaces ; some
species are double-brooded, and some feign death when alarmed.
The males are often variable in size, but the females are not, and
their sting is very feeble. Most of the species emit an odour
when handled, and this differs according to the species. Stylo
pisation is of frequent occurrence in this genus, A. nigro-aenea
being the species from which a Stylops (melittae) was first bred
(by Wm. Kirby in 1803). Besides Stylops these bees are
parasitised by Nomada and Sphecodes and the Dipterous genera
Conops and Bombylius.
Andrena albicans, K., generally distributed. Carbonaria, L.,
Colchester district ; not common. Tibialis, K., Billericay ;
local. Bimaculata, K., Billericay, Colchester district ; local.
Flavipes, Panz., locally common. Nitida, Foure, generally
distributed ; fond of Pyracantha and hawthorn flowers.
Cineraria, L., common locally, and forms colonies in short grassy
turf ; Billericay (rather scarce), Loughton, Woodford, etc.
Nigroaenea, K., generally distributed. Gwynana, K., generally
distributed and common. Angustior, K., Billericay, Colchester
district ; very partial to wild bluebells. Jacobi, Perk., common
and generally distributed ; its males fly actively about and along
hedges in the spring. Trimmerana, K. (1st brood, spinigera, K.),
local ; Billericay, Colchester district ; first brood on sallow,
blackthorn and fruit trees ; second brood on bramble and white-
flowered Umbellifera. Rosae, Panz., Billericay, Stanway ; not
common. Fucata, Sm., Billericay, Colchester district, St. Osyth
(on bramble) ; not common. Varians, Rossi, Billericay,
Colchester district, Loughton. Helvola, L., partial to
flowers of Euphorbia ; Billericay, Colchester district ; local.
Synadelpha, Perk., Colchester district ; local. Fulva, Schr.,
local, but widely distributed ; often burrows in lawns ;
Billericay, Chingford, Hale End, Colchester district ; smells of
citronella. Clarkella, K., local ; Billericay, Colchester district,
St. Osyth. Apicata, Sm., Billericay. Praecox, Scop, locally
abundant ; Billericay, Colchester district, Epping Forest.
Nigriceps, K., not uncommon locally ; Billericay, Stanway ;
prefers Compositae, especially ragwort. Fuscipes, K., Billericay.
Tridentata, K., very local ; Billericay, Colchester district,
on ragwort and Crepis. Denticulata, K., rare ; on thistles :