1 00 REVIEWS. 



result of my observations," Mr. Smith declares, " leads to the conclusion 

 that no species of the Andrenidce is parasitic." Indeed, the genus 

 Prosopis was the only one against which grave suspicions of this nature 

 were, till lately, entertained, resting, as it appears, upon no stronger 

 evidence than their being destitute of the usual apparatus for collecting 

 pollen. The first person that had a word to say for them, as we are 

 informed, was Mr. Thwaites, who bred two species from bramble-sticks, in 

 which the larvas were found arranged in the same regular order as is the 

 case with the acknowledged working bees. 



Mr. Smith, from his own observations, also has vindicated the indus- 

 trious habits of Sphecodes against Lepelletier St. Fargeau's imputation of 

 parasitism, almost unnecessarily we think, since that hypothesis was framed 

 in disregard of the distinct testimony of such accurate observers as 

 Reaumur and Kirby. Concerning the kindred Halicti, Kirby has simply 

 said, " the insects of this family nidificate much in the same manner with 

 those of the preceding (Sphecodes) in bare banks." 



Among the genuine bees (Apidoe) the genus Ceratina has been qualified 

 as parasitic by St. Fargeau, again in opposition to the express statement 

 of Spiniola, the correctness of which has been confirmed by the late obser- 

 vations of Thwaites and of our author. They construct their cells, like 

 Prosopis, in the dead shoots of brambles. The veritable parasites belong 

 to the genera Nomada, Epeolus, Ccelioxys, Stelisj and Melecta, composing 

 the tribe CuculinoB of Latreille. The Apathi, also, are known to live, on a 

 rather ambiguous footing, in the nests of the humble-bees (Bombi), which 

 they resemble so closely. We will leave Mr. Smith to state the case for 

 them, as he will make the best of it 



" What office these bees perform in the economy of the nest has not been dis- 

 covered ; they live on the most friendly terms with the industrious part of the 

 community, and it is probable that upon them devolves some important office, the 

 nature of which it would be very interesting to discover. It has been supposed, 

 from the very close resemblance of the Apathi to the Bombi, that the former are 

 an idle race, reared at the expense of the industrious bees, and wearing a livery in 

 imitation of them, for the purpose of deception ; but there can be little doubt of 

 these aristocrats of the community performing important and necessary duties 

 highly conducive to the general prosperity of the whole. That the close resem- 

 blance of these bees is not for the purpose of deception is at once proved by the 

 fact of A. Barbutellus, a yellow-banded bee, being found in the nest of B. Der- 

 hamellus, a black species having the tip of the body red ; and we have already 

 seen that, amongst the solitary bees, the greatest difference in appearance exists ; 

 we would instance Epeolus and Colletes, Andrena and Jornada, also Melecta and 

 Anthophora." 



But, in truth, these same humble-bees are a much-enduring race of 

 drudges, as many a schoolboy can testify, who has learned to "pluck the 



