OF WASHINGTON. 331 



erobius, and Mr. Ashmead replied that the egg was similar in 

 this respect, but the pedicel was somewhat shorter. 



Mr. Howard presented the following : 



NOTE ON THE HIBERNATION OF CARPENTER BEES. 

 BY L. O. HOWARD. 



[Author's Abstract. ,] 



Mr. Howard exhibited a pine branch burrowed by Xylocopa 

 virginica and containing two specimens of the bee, a male and 

 female. This burrow was brought to him in February, at which 

 time the male was living, although the female was already dead. 

 A number of additional living bees were in the burrow when 

 found but were lost before they reached the speaker. He stated 

 that he had not been able to find any published statement to the 

 effect that the males winter over, and that he had always assumed, 

 although without observation, that, as with the Bombi, only im 

 pregnated females hibernated. The finding of this living male in 

 February shows that the male sex does hibernate. This partic 

 ular specimen was kept alive in a " queen cage" until the end of 

 April, when it died. 



Prof. Riley said that the question of the hibernation of both 

 sexes does not seem to have been broached, but saw no reason 

 why both should not hibernate. Mr. Ashmead reported having 

 taken both sexes in early spring about flowers. Mr. Hubbard 

 stated that the Carpenter bees are extremely abundant at Crescent 

 City, Florida, and that at that latitude no hibernation occurs, the 

 breeding continuing almost without intermission the year round. 

 He had observed them throughout the winter, during which sea 

 son they were excessively injurious to woodwork, porches, fences, 

 window-sashes, etc., the adults being very abundant during the 

 months of November to January. He had found in February the 

 eggs and the young, in various stages of development, in burrows, 

 and in March the adult bees ready to issue from the burrows. 

 By April most of these had escaped, and another generation de 

 veloped during the summer. He described the egg of the Car 

 penter bee as the largest, finest, and most beautiful of any insect 

 egg he had ever seen. He described it as a quarter of an inch 

 in length, and perfectly transparent, revealing the embryonic larva 



