8 CURIOSITIES OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



kinds making an excavation expressly, others adopting the 

 deserted work of some other insect, or taking advantage of an 

 accidental hollow. For instance, Antliidiuni manicatum, one 

 of our summer bees, generally uses the holes bored in willow 

 stumps by the Cossus liyniperda; but a nest of this species 

 was once found, as described by Mr. F. Smith, in the key- 

 hole of a garden door. Some of the humble-bees, on the 

 other hand, carefully construct their own burrow. A beau- 

 tiful exotic species, a large and powerful bee, has received the 

 specific name of Latipes, from the singular broadening and 

 strengthening of the front pair of feet. These broadened 

 feet assume somewhat of the character of the front feet of the 

 mole, or rather those of that curious insect, the mole cricket. 

 These enlarged feet, with the thick brushes of strong hairs 

 with which they are furnished, are evidently excavating 

 implements, and no doubt the works produced by their agency 

 are of a very interesting kind ; but entomological discovery 

 has not at present made us acquainted with the nest archi- 

 tecture of this handsome insect. A pretty little English bee, 

 one of the solitary kind, often makes its burrow in sheltered 

 parts of hard gravel walks ; an affair evidently of very great 

 labour, as the female bee, who is the sole architect in this 

 instance, frecjnently comes to the o|)ening of the burrow to 

 rest, when the male companion commences flying rapidly 

 round and round his mate, as though to encourage her to 

 renew her task." 



Among those species most subject to parasitic intruders is 

 the common garden humble-bee, Boinhus hortonnn, of which 

 we give an engraving (Fig. 1) side by side with its parasite 

 Apathus barhiitellus (Fig. 2). These bees so closely resemble 

 each other, that one may easily be mistaken for the other, 

 even by those aware of the resemblance, till alter a close 

 examination, as they are almost identical in colour, size, and 

 general form. There is, however, one marked difference, 

 which is easily perceived when the eye has been taught where 

 to look for it ; for the hind legs of the honey or pollen collector 

 invai'iably have an enlarged tibia, or large bone of the leg, 

 the flattened and somewhat hollowed breadth of which serves 



