02 BEES AND WASPS [OH. 



Frequently large colonies of them inhabit the same 

 bank. The burrows made by them are straight, or 

 at any rate not branched, and contain about half 

 a dozen cells composed of the gluey, membranous 

 material from which the genus has received its name. 

 Hovering round, and often entering the burrows, and 

 also associating with the CoUetes upon the flowers 

 there is often seen a pretty little bee, black but 

 decorated with spots of red and white, which u plays 





Fig. 11. Colletes succincta 

 (about H times natural size) 



the cuckoo " upon those species. The name of this 

 parasite is Epeolus. 



If it be desired to see excellent examples of 

 the "plumose" hairs that are characteristic of bees, 

 specimens from a Colletes should be obtained ; they 

 are most beautifully branched, and well worth micro- 

 scopic examination. 



The other forked-tongued bees, the Prosopids, are 

 very different both in appearance and in habits : they 

 are nearly all small, coal-black (excepting their faces) 



