262 CLARENCE P. CUSTER AND CHARLES H. HICKS. 



from introduced plants. He states that A. diadema will take 

 the cotton for its work from any suitable plant growing near its 

 nest. This bee nests in hollow reeds placing as many as ten 

 cells in one stem. The most we have found here have been two 

 in one nest, more usually one. This is due to the fact that most 

 of ours have probably taken over wasp nests providing space for 

 but one or two cells. 



According to Friese (3) certain European Anthidia obtain their 

 down from the leaves of different hairy plants, among which are 

 especially such plants as Stachys, Ballota, Cydonia, Verbascum, 

 Populus and Gnaphalium. 



A. porterx gathers down from the underside of the leaf of 

 Cryptanthe gracilis Osterh., 1 by scraping it up towards the apex 

 with her mandibles. 



After visiting several leaves she then holds the ball gathered 

 with the mandibles between the thorax and front legs and flies 

 with it thus to the nest. A given individual usually returns to 

 the same group of plants to obtain the down. One bee averages 

 two and one-half minutes in securing a load (c). 



We have observed a bee to go a distance of over 50 yards in 

 securing the down although some others have been seen to go 

 but 5 yards away while one at White Rocks went but 3 feet from 

 the nest. 



In August, 1926, A. porterse was observed to gather down from 

 the stems of live Artemisia canadensis Michx. 1 One female was 

 observed while she went from plant to plant visiting a large 

 number on one collecting trip. This bee scraped the down in 

 much the same manner as those observed working on Cryptanthe. 

 It would seem that this latter plant is much better for the bee 

 as it has more down and requires less work to obtain it (h). 



On July 20 and 21, 1926, notes were taken on the provisioning 

 of a cell, an extraction of which follows (h). 



One nest was watched continuously for a number of hours. 

 The opening to the tunnel was slightly enlarged so that the bee 

 could be seen working within. She would return to the nest 

 carrying the down with her mandibles, enter, and arrange it 



1 Kindly identified by Dr. Edna Johnson. 



