150 NOTES ON ANTHOPHORA ABRUPTA 



cordingly develop without being fed by the parent bees. My 

 last visit to Oak wood in 1919 was on September 20, and the 

 cells then contained full grown larvae. No adults were ob- 

 served at this time and as nidification was completed the bees 

 had probably perished. The larvae at this time averaged 

 about thirteen millimeters in length and five millimeters in their 

 greatest diameter, and were of a lemon yellow color. It may 

 be well to note at this place that, on September 20, almost all 

 of the peculiar entrance tubes previously described had broken 

 off and fallen to the foot of the bank. 



J. Miscellaneous Adult Habits 



No opportunity was presented for a close study of the habits 

 of the adult bees. Besides those traits already noted in connec- 

 tion with phases of their home building a few others merit 

 recording. The bees never emerged from their pupal cells 

 until they were ready to take flight. In the laboratory when 

 the bees emerged in screened cages they flew towards the near- 

 est source of light and made desperate attempts to escape from 

 their prison. In so doing they demonstrated the great muscular 

 power correlated with their large mandibles by drawing together 

 a great many of the individual parallel wires forming the mesh 

 of the screened sides of their cage. With such strongly devel- 

 oped biting powers it is no wonder that these bees are so adept 

 at mining in hard clay banks. During the night and early 

 morning the bees were not active and rested on the sides and the 

 top of the cage. When resting, the bees hung onto the wire 

 by their mandibles assisted by one or more pairs of legs. This 

 position was also assumed when the bees cleaned parts of their 

 body and legs. The disposition of the female Anthophora 

 abrupta is very inoffensive. One can stand within a foot of the 

 entrance holes to the burrows in the bank without danger of 

 being stung. Even when I removed the cells from the bank 

 swarming with females no resistance was encountered in spite 

 of the fact that the females are armed with a good-sized sting. 

 Such would not be the case with many social Hymenoptei"a, as 

 anyone who has removed a buniblelx'c or wasp nest can testify. 

 While I was seated on the ground lu^ar the bank watching their 



