34 INSECT ARCHITECTURE, 



Mason-Bee— (Anthophora vciitsa;.— Natural size. 



than usually occur in the mud of the adjacent cart- 

 ruts. We should, ni fact, have passed it by without 

 notice, had there not been a circular hole on one side 

 of it, indicating the perforation of some insect. This 



Exterior xvall of 3Iason-Bct^s ntst. 



hole was found to be the orifice of a cell about an inch 

 deep, exactly of the form and size of a lady's thimble, 

 finely pohshed, and of the colour of plaster of Paris, 

 but stained in various places with yellow. 



This cell was empty; but upon removing the cake 

 of mud, we discovered another cell, separated from 

 the former by a partition about a quarter of an inch 

 thick, and in it a living bee, from which the preceding 

 figure was drawn, and which, as we supposed, had 

 just changed from the pupa into the winged state, 

 in consequence of the uncommon mildness of the 

 weather. The one which had occupied the adjacent cell 



