216 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 
AN INGENIOUS METHOD OF COLLECTING BOMBUS AND APATHUS. 
BY C. L. MARLATT. 
Some years ago, while living on a Kansas farm, the writer, in company 
with neighbor boys, was in the habit (reprehensible it now seems) of 
robbing the nests of wild bees, Bombus sp., which were always found 
abundantly during the haying season in the early fall. We were led to do 
this more from the excitement caused by the danger of being stung than 
to secure the honey, which, in fact, is not only rank and unpalatable, but 
at this season of the year very little in quantity. 
The method usually followed was to take a one or two gallon jug, such 
as is commonly used to carry water to hay-makers, fill it partly with water, 
and place it, with cork removed, within two or three feet of the nest. The 
bees were then thoroughly aroused by beating the nest, immediately after 
which the operator, it is needless to add, removed himself hurriedly to a 
safe distance. The enraged bees would swarm out and begin flying about 
in widening circles to discover the enemy. The jug would at once attract 
their attention, and numbers would fly about it and over its open mouth, 
which, by reason of the air set in motion by their wings, would give an 
answering roar to their angry humming. Excited beyond measure by this 
noise, the bees would fly at the mouth of the jug, and one after another 
would pop into it the noise produced by those within still further attract- 
ing those without until all had entered. A second disturbance of the nest 
would serve, to draw out and dispose of any of the remaining fighting 
worker-bees, after which the robbing of the nest was easy, as it would still 
contain only young bees, drones, the sluggish winter females, and Apa- 
thus sp. 
After robbing the nest, the water and bees in the jugwere emptied on the 
ground, and the bees, though apparently drowned, would soon recover. 
Later, when interested in the collection and study of insects, the method 
outlined above was employed with unvarying success in the examination 
of Bombus nests, particularly for Apathus sp., and also for Coleoptera, 
Diptera, and moths. 
The ordinary use of such water-jugs in hay-fields affords an easy ex- 
planation of the discovery of this method of trapping bees. It is a common 
custom of farmers to "stamp out" the nests of wild bees to prevent their 
attacking teams, and we have only to suppose a jug placed over a nest and an 
unsuccessful attempt made to stamp it out, and the discovery of the curious 
attraction of a jug for angry bees is accounted for. 
Mr. Howard read the following paper : 
NOTE ON THE MOUTH-PARTS OF THE AMERICAN COCKROACH. 
BY L. O. HOWARD. 
The cockroach is a very cleanly insect, though living in dirty places. 
Any one who watches it carefully under favorable circumstances cannot 
fail to be interested in observing the industrious manner in which it cleans 
