70 BEES AND WASPS [OH. 



on the other hand, makes his way out, and flies about 

 with much activity. The female produces large num- 

 bers of young, but we do not know with certainty 

 how these gain access to the larvae of the bees : for 

 it is at this stage that the host is attacked by the 

 parasite. The general effect of " stylopisation" is the 

 suppression of the distinctive secondary sexual char- 

 acters : affected males fail to develop their usual 

 masculine features, and assume some of the feminine ; 

 and vice versa. 



The Sphecode bees are of peculiar scientific inter- 

 est inasmuch as there seems no reason to doubt that 

 they are not thorough-going "cuckoos/' but are some- 

 times industrious in forming burrows. They are rather 

 small, highly polished bees, with red, or red and black 

 abdomens, and might easily be mistaken for Fossors ; 

 and their pollen-c~ Meeting apparatus is very meagre. 

 Their usual habit is to be parasitic ("cuckoo") upon 

 various species of Halictus. Structurally, and also 

 in hibernating habits, they closely resemble Halicti, 

 although so different from the majority superficially : 

 so that it is possible that they are a degenerate offset 

 from the Halictus stock. Of their bad habits there 

 is no doubt : species of Sphecodes have been taken 

 out from the brood-cells of Halictus ; a Sphecodes has 

 even been seen to attack and kill a Halictus and then 

 take possession of its burrow. Moreover, certain 

 species are always found with certain Halicti, and 



