34 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Voi. ix. 



adult bees were observed. They were not found about flowers, in the 

 woods, on the sand fields or in the burrows. They seemed to have 

 disappeared completely and places where they were abundant in March 

 and -A.pril showed, as the only signs of their former presence, nothing 

 but discolored patches showing where a mound had been located; the 

 discoloration being due to the clay that had been brought up from 

 lower levels by the bees. 



On this point I may say that in my collection 1 have specimens 

 dated June ist, taken at Lahaway in previous years, and it may be that 

 in some seasons they fly later than others. All these late examples 

 are males. Of the specimens sent me by Mr. Brakeley in 1898, more 

 than half were males and all were taken late in March or early April 

 going into or coming out of a burrow. It seems, therefore, as if the 

 males sought out the females in their own homes and the females may 

 begin to dig even before they have been impregnated. It seems 

 probable too that the males may live for some time, after no more 

 females are to be found. But on this point it needs continuous obser- 

 vation and collection from the first appearance of the species until 

 no more examples are to be seen. 



Starting from a group of the discolored patches already mentioned, 

 and digging a trench two feet deep as a starting point the old burrow 

 may be traced down by the difference in color of the sand ; so that 

 first the laterals and afterward the cartridges could be found. In no 

 case did I find more than three cartridges in connection with a single 

 tube : usually there are only two and not infrequently a single one 

 only was found. As to direction from the vertical burrow, the insect 

 rarely places one cell directly above another. In one cast that I dug 

 out a cartridge was found nearly six inches from the main tube in one 

 direction and a second was found almost as far away from the tube in 

 the other. That is, there was a distance of fully ten inches between 

 the two cells, and, in this case, not much difference in level. 



From the diggings now made, in one case reaching 28 inches, and 

 from the casts already in hand the habit of the species could be clearly 

 made out. Perhaps it may be as well to say that digging for loaded 

 bee cartridges even where they should be abundant is not so easy a 

 task. As the net result of three hours' digging on one day Mr. 

 Brakeley secured only one filled cell! Of course on other days he did 

 better, but there are a number of probable seekers after this honey 

 store so that, the later in the season it gets, the fewer loaded cells can 



