234 LIFE STORIES OF AUSTRALIAN INSECTS. 



to be built near them to make a more solid mass. 

 At one end of the nest there was a mass of deserted 

 honey cells of dark colour, and hardened consider- 

 ably. The fresh honey cells were of a reddish- 

 brown colour, not the light colour of the hive cells. 

 The honey-cells of the Trigona were much larger 

 than those of the hive bee, while the brood cells 

 were much smaller. The latter were in the central 

 part of the nest we examined, while at one inner 

 end was a patch of deserted honey cells, much har- 

 dened, and at the other end and extending from the 

 central brood cells were the fresh honey cells laden 

 with honey, which had a distinct flavour, but was 

 not unpleasant to taste. The brood-cells 

 (Plate 27, Fig", 2) were much more regu- 

 larly arranged than the honey-cells, and were 

 in distinct rows of 2 to 3 layers, and the 

 layers of cells could be pulled apart in 

 sheets. The majority of these cells contained 

 pupae, the cells being more or less polygonal with 

 the pressure of adjacent cells; but instead of having 

 a horizontal cap of wax, the "lids" of the cells were 

 curved upwards tapering broadly, thus resembling 

 rather the cocoons of ruby wasps, only that they 

 were made of wax instead of silky material. 



We opened some of the pupal cells and the pupa 

 (Plate 27, Fig. 5) was quite cream with the ex- 

 ception of the large reddish compound eyes, and the 

 three pink ocelli or single eyes between them. 



Numbers of tiny adults were swarming over the 

 brood-cells, and these were very inactive and slow 

 in movement. Not one flew ofif even when we put 

 a few out in the sunshine, but the weather was 



