150 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



side of cliffs or sand banks, or in rotten trees ; while others occupy 

 dead snail shells. 



Coelioxys, with a sharp triangular abdomen, is parasitic, laying 

 its eggs in the nests of Megachile, Osmia and other bees. 



Nomada is not hirsute, and in its slender form and gay colors re- 

 sembles wasps. It enters the nests of Andrena and feeds on its 

 food, hence it is called the Cuckoo-bee. 



Andrena resembles very much the hive bee, though it is s"ialler. 

 The Andrenae " are all burrowers in the ground, some species pre- 

 ferring banks of light earth, others hard trodden pathways, &c. ; 

 their burrows differ in depth, but are seldom less than about six, 

 whilst others excavate to nine or ten inches ; at the bottom of each 

 burrow is formed a small oval cell or chamber, in which the indus- 

 trious female lays up a small pellet of pollen mixed with honey ; 

 these little balls are usually about the size of a garden-pea, varying 

 somewhat in size in different species." Smith. 



Halictus is one of the smallest of the family. Angochlora em- 

 braces bees whose bodies are slightly hirsute, and of a rich shiny 

 green. 



Mr. Fred. Smith, an English entomologist, says of the economy of 

 this genus, that " it is so remarkably different from that of all other 

 solitary bees, except of those belonging to the genus Spliecodes, 

 that I am surprised it had escaped the researches of my predeces- 

 sors, who, like myself, ' have loved to hear the wild bees' hum.' 

 It will be observed that the females of Halictus and Sphecodes make 

 their appearance in June, and are to be found from that time until 

 late in autumn ; but no males of these genei'a will be observed un- 

 til long after the appearance of the females : my observations on a 

 colony of H. morio will serve as the history of the whole genus, 

 making allowance for the different periods of their appearance. 

 ' Early in April the females appeared, and continued in numbers up 

 to the end of June ; not a single male was to be found at any time ; 

 during the month of July scarcely an individual was to be found; 

 a solitary female now and then might be seen, but the spring bees 

 had almost disappeared ; about the middle of August the males 

 began to come forth, and by the end of the month abounded ; the 

 females succeeded the males in their appearance about ten or twelve 

 days : these industrious creatures began the tasks assigned to them, 

 burrowing and forming their nests ; one of their little tunnels had 

 usually others running into it, so that a single common entrance 



