282 HABITATIONS OF INSECTS. 



The bee last described may be said to exercise the trade of a clothier. 



Another numerous family would be more properly compared to carpp.nters, 



boring with incredible labor out of the solid wood long cylindrical tubes, 



and dividing them into various cells. Amongst these, one of the most 



remarkable is Xi/locopa^ violacea, a large species, a native of middle and 



southern Europe, distinguished by beautiful wings of a deep violet color, 



and found commonly in gardens, in the upright putrescent espaliers or 



vine-props of which, and occasionally in the garden seats, doors, and 



window-shutters, she makes her nest. In the beginning of spring, after 



repeated and careful surveys, she fixes upon a piece of wood suitable for 



her purpose, and with her strong mandibles begins the process of boring. 



First proceeding obliquely downwards, she soon points her course in a 



direction parallel with the sides of the wood, and at length with unwearied 



exertion forms a cylindrical hole or tunnel not less than twelve or fifteen 



inches long and half an inch broad. Sometimes, where the diameter will 



admit of it, three or four of these pipes, nearly parallel with each other, 



are bored in the same piece. Herculean as this task, which is the labor 



of several days, appears, it is but a small part of what our industrious bee 



cheerfully undertakes. A^ yet she has completed but the shell of the 



destined habitation of her offspring ; each of which, to the number of ten 



or twelve, will require a separate and distinct apartment. How, you will 



ask, is she to form these ? With what materials can she construct the 



floors and ceilings ? Why truly God " doth instruct her to discretion and 



doth teach her." In excavating her tunnel she has detached a large 



quantity of fibres, which lie on the ground like a heap of saw-dust. This 



material supplies all her wants. Having deposited an egg at the bottom 



of the cylinder along with the requisite store of pollen and honey, she 



next, at the height of about three quarters of an inch (which is the depth 



of each cell), constructs of particles of the saw-dust glued together, and 



also to the sides of the tunnel, what may be called an annular stage or 



scafiblding. When this is sufficiently hardened, its interior edge affords 



support for a second ring of the same materials, and thus the ceiling is 



gradually formed of these concentric circles, till there remains only a 



small orifice in its centre, which is also closed with a circular mass of 



agglutinated particles of saw-dust. When this partition, which serves as 



the ceiling of the first cell and the flooring of the second, is finished, it is 



about the thickness of a crown-piece, and exhibits the appearance of as 



many concentric circles as the animal has made pauses in her labor. 



One cell being finished, she proceeds to another, which she furnishes and 



completes in the same manner, and so on until she has divided her whole 



tunnel into ten or twelve apartments. 



Here, if you have followed me in this detail with the interest which I 

 wish it to inspire, a query will suggest itself. It will strike you that such 

 a laborious undertaking as the constructing and furnishing these cells 

 cannot be the work of one or even of two days. Considering that every 

 cell requires a store of honey and pollen, not to be collected but with long 

 toil, and that a considerable interval must be spent in agglutinating the 

 floors of each, it will be very obvious to you that the last egg in the last 

 cell must be laid many days after the first. We are certain, therefore, 



• Apis. ♦*. d. 2. 0. K. 



