38 THE HOME OF THE BEES. 



our parasite seems lower in the zoological scale than its host. 

 It is structurally a degraded form of Working-bee, and its posi- 

 tion socially is unenviable. It is lazy, not having the provi- 

 dent habits of the Worliing-bees ; it aids not in the least, so far 

 as we know, the cross-fertilization of plants, — one great office 

 in the economy of nature whicli most bees perform, — since it is 

 not a pollen-gatherer, but on the contrary is seemingly a drag 

 and hinderance to the course of nature. But y^t nature kindly, 

 and as if by a special interposition, provides for its main- 

 tenance, and the humble naturalist can only exclaim, " God is 

 great, and his ways mysterious," and go on studying and col- 

 lecting facts, leaving to his successors the more difficult task, 

 but greater joy of discovering the cause and reason of things 

 that are but a puzzle to the philosophers of this day. 



The larva of Nomada may be known from those of its host, by 

 its slenderer body and smaller head, while the body is smoother 

 and more cylindrical. Both sexes of Nomada imbricata and 

 N. pulchella were found by Mr. Emerton, the former in both the 

 Audreua and Halictus nests, and both were found in a single 

 Audrena nest. 



Wood Wasp. 



