BEES. 209 



inside, which are considerably smaller, increase the 

 thickness of the sides and fill up the gaps left by 

 the first" .... For scissors she has her mandibles, 

 for compasses, producing now an oval, anon a circle, 

 she has her eye and the pivot of her body. The 

 pieces cut out are made into thimble-like wallets 

 destined to contain honey and the egg." 



Observations on the Leaf-Cutting Bees. 



We made some very interesting observations at 

 Clarence Siding, Blue Mountains, in January. At 

 the end of a long stone verandah were a number of 

 rose bushes and two clumps of honeysuckle ; near 

 by were apple, plum, hazel-nut, and quince trees. 

 There were numbers of the dark leaf-cutting bees 

 busily working all day among the leaves of all these 

 trees till 7 p.m. at night. 



Some of the smaller branches of the rose bushes 

 had their leaves reduced to shreds by the too-fre- 

 quent visits of these workers. We watched them 

 approach the bushes and they were rather hard to 

 please in their choice of leaves, for they alighted 

 here and there before making the final selection. 

 Occasionally they would make a slit and then leave 

 the leaf. There were numerous leaves which showed 

 that the leaf-cutter had begun its operation and 

 for some reason or other had left its work. 



Most of the bees worked from the edge of the 

 leaf and round to the right, but occasionally we 

 saw one cut from right to left. 



The more common shape cut out of the leaf was 

 the elongate side-pieces for the cell of its nest. 



