336 O. E. PLATH. 



V. Bremns vagans Smith. 



As in the case of Bremus bimaculatus and Bremus impatiens, 

 several queens of this species were at first lost through dueling. 

 The two queens from which self-supporting colonies were ob- 

 tained, were confined each with three workers on June 8, 

 and II, respectively. Within a week, both nuclei had begun nest- 

 building, and by the end of June the first batches of larvae were 

 spinning their cocoons. The first worker of nucleus No. I 

 hatched on July 13, and the first one of nucleus No. 2, on July 

 14, whereupon both nuclei were given continuous liberty. The 

 two colonies prospered and did not break up until the latter part 

 of September, each having produced a number of queens and 

 males. 



As already mentioned in connection with Bremus affinis, a 

 confined bumblebee queen, if liberated, may return to an arti- 

 ficial nest after she has oviposited in it. From the following 

 incident, it will be seen that Bremus vagans is no exception to this 

 rule. On June 22, the weather was exceptionally pleasant, and 

 vagans nucleus No. 2 having small larvae, the flight-hole of the 

 nest-box was opened at about 9 A.M., in order to give the bees a 

 chance to forage. When the nest was examined at noon, the 

 queen, as well as the workers, had disappeared. At 2 P.M., none 

 of the bees had returned, and, believing they had forsaken the 

 brood, the nest-box was removed with the intention of turning 

 the young larvae over to vagans nucleus No. 2. However, about 

 5 P.M., vagans queen No. I was found eagerly searching about 

 the place where the nest-box had been. She was captured, and 

 upon being placed in the nest-box, quickly went to her brood. 

 The workers did not return, and three others were substituted 

 on the following day. 



The nesting habits and disposition of Bremus vagans have been 

 discussed in two recent papers ('22, '226). 



Auricomus GROUP. 



I. Bremus auricomus Robertson. 



This is one of the two species which I was unable to obtain in 

 the vicinity of Boston. All that is known concerning the nesting 

 habits of Bremus auricomus, we owe to the efforts of Mr. Theodore 



