28 



MELANDER. 



nidus ; the form is of small moment. AntJiidiiiui has been 

 known to choose abandoned burrows of other bees, or the ex- 

 cavations made by Scarabaeid larvae. There are several cases 

 recorded where even key-holes have been utilized. In other 

 species the nests are placed, not in the ground, but in hollow 

 plant stems. In all these cases the nest is lined with a hard 

 compacted cottony down scraped from the stems of pubescent 

 plants by means of the dentate mandibles of the female. 



FIG. i. Nest of Anthidium texanum Cress. 



With the " Resiniers " the habits are to some extent different. 

 They have the peculiar habit of constructing their nests with the 

 aid of the resin of various conifers. In addition to this some 



