40 



TXSECT ARCHITECTUJIE. 



instance was considerably less tlian what we have ob- 

 served in other species which dig perpendicular galleries 

 several inches deep in posts and garden-seats ; and they 

 are inferior in ingenuity to the carpentr}^ of a bee de- 



<'£\ 



UiSaj-^j 



Cells of Carpenter-Bees,.excavated in an old post. 



In fig. A tbe cells contain the j'oung grubs; in fig. B the cells are empty. Both figures 



are shown in section, and about half their natural size. 



scribed by Eeaumur (^Xylocopa violacea), which has not 

 been ascertained to be a native of Britain, though a single 

 indigenous species of the genus has been doubtingiy 

 mentioned, and is figured by Kirby and Spence, in their 

 valuable ' Monographia.' If it ever be found here, its 

 large size and beautiful violet-coloured wings will render 

 mistakes impossible. 



The violet carpenter-bee usually selects an upright piece 

 of wood, into which she bores obliquely for about an inch ; 

 and then, changing the direction, works perpendicularly, 

 and parallel to the sides of the wood, from twelve or fifteen 

 inches, and half an inch in breadth. Sometimes the bee 

 is contented with one or two of these excavations ; at other 

 times, when the wood is adapted to it, she scoops out three 

 or four — a task which sometimes requires several weeks of 

 incessant labour. 



The tunnel in the wood, however, is only one pait of 

 the work ; for the little architect has afterwards to divide 

 the whole into cells, somewhat less than an inch in depth. 

 It is necessary, for the proper growth of her progeny, 

 that each should be separated from the other, and be 



