GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.
This genus is named from the extreme hairiness of its posterior legs, ποῦς, hairy, ποῦς, ποδὸς, foot or leg. It is one of the most elegant of our native bees, both in form and the extreme congruity of its habiliment. This is unfortunately but a bridal raiment, for almost as soon as the arduous duties of maternity supervene these bright garments fade, and the workday suit immediately shows the wear and tear produced by the labours of life. The male flaunts about longer in the freshness of his attire, but he is usually the assiduous companion of his spouse, although he does not participate in her toils. They are late summer insects, and form their burrows upon banks having a southern aspect; these they excavate deeper than does Andrena, and smooth and polish them internally. They generally prefer spots intertangled with shrubs, and at the mouth of the cylinder they tunnel they heap up the extracted soil, to use a portion for closing it when their task is accomplished. In the course of this process, especially if a cloud pass over the sun, they will come forward to the aperture. They collect large quantities of pollen, for which the hair upon their posterior tibiæ and plantæ is excellently well adapted both by its length and the additional storing power it possesses in each individual hair being spirally twisted, although they are unprovided with the furniture of hair upon the femora and coxæ found in the genus Andrenæ. Thus nature likes to vary its mode of accomplishing the same object. The details of their nursery processes are not known. For their protection their sting is very virulent, and also actively employed, as they have many enemies, especially amongst the fossorial Hymenoptera, whom they stoutly resist to the extent of their strength. We are not aware of any special parasites that infest them. They are semi-gregarious in their habits, for where they occur any quantity of them may be taken. They are found in their season in the southern counties, the Isle of Wight, and in several parts of Kent and its eastern coast, and even as near London as Charlton. They seem to prefer the composite flowers, having a great liking for the bastard Hawkweed and the Dandelion. A fine series of them forms a great ornament to a collection.
Subfamily 2. Apidæ (Normal Bees), Latreille.
Syn. Apis, Kirby.
Tongue always folded back in repose.
Maxillary palpi varying in the number of the joints.
Section 1. Solitary.
Subsection 1. Scopulipedes (brush-legged).
a. Femoriferæ (collectors on entire leg).