MASOX-BEES. 29 



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 Avhich the preceding figure was 

 drawn, and which, as we supposed, had just changed from 

 the pupa to the winged state, in consequence of the im- 

 common mildness of the weather. The one which had 

 occupied the adjacent cell had, no doubt, already dug its 

 way out of its prison, and would probably fall a victim to 

 the first frost. 



Cells of a Masuu-Bee {Anthophora j-e(Msa).— Oiie-lhinl the natural size. 



Our nest contained only two cells — perhaps from there 

 not being room between the bricks for more. 



An interesting account is given by Eeaumur of another 

 mason-bee (Magachile muraricC), not a native of Britain, se- 

 lecting earthy sand, grain by grain ; her gluing a mass of 

 these together with saliva, and building with them her cells 

 from the foundation. But the cells of the Greenwich Park 

 nest were apparently composed of the mortar of the brick 

 wall ; though the external covering seems to have been 

 constructed as Eeaumur describes his nest, with the occa- 

 sional addition of small stones. 



About the middle of May, 1829, we discovered the mine 

 from which all the various species of mason-bees in the 

 vicinity seemed to derive materials for their nests. (J. E.)" 

 It was a bank of brown clay, facing the east, and close by 

 the margin of the river Eavensbourn, at Lee, in Kent. 

 The frequent resort of the bees to this spot attracted the 

 attention of some workmen, who, deceived by their resem- 

 blance to wasps, pointed it out as a wasps' nest ; though 

 they were not a little surprised to see so numerous a colony 



