19 i [-'"ly. 



suuny bank, working in and out among the short herbage, and soon I 

 saw one start up under my very nose, and I saw also a little pile of 

 bents collected into a heap, just such as the bees select. It struck me 

 as a very peculiar looking mound, and I took up the lot in my hand, 

 when what should I see under it but a Helix shell full of cells of the 

 Osinia. Here, then, was the explanation of the mystery, plain enough. 

 These bees, when they have filled a shell full of cells, set to work to 

 cover it over, to hide it both from the sun's rays, and from any birds, 

 mice, insects, or other enemies that might chance to come across it. 

 Having so far succeeded, I made up my mind to return the next 

 morning and prosecute my studies further in the same direction. I 

 soon found another of these peculiar little constructions, so I sat myself 

 down by it and watched to see what would occur. I was close enough 

 to take it up if I wanted to, but the bee came with her load, perfectly 

 indifferent to my presence, and deposited it in her own peculiar way 

 and to her own satisfaction, and then went away for another ; she 

 worked hard, and brought them in rapidly one after another, with each 

 one she would alight on the top of the mound, then look round, walk 

 over it, and with her jaws push one of the ends into the heap where 

 she wanted it to remain, and so fix it ; as soon as she was satisfied with 

 its position off she went for another, brought it in, and did exactly 

 the same, every bent was put in its proper place, and she never laid 

 one simply down on the top while I watched her. 



These nests very much resemble those of Formica rufa in 

 miniature, they are from four to six inches round the bottom, and are 

 from two to three inches high, so that they are very easily detected 

 when you once know what they are, and the labour spent upon them 

 must be very great, for there are hundreds of bents in each, and each 

 one is brought and added separately. I found some dozen or more, 

 all within a short distance, and three so close together that I could 

 watch the proceedings of them all at the same time. This furnishes 

 a complete history of the habits of this wonderful little Osmia. 



Wottoii-undcr-Edge : 



May \Wi, 1891. 



Aculeate Ilymenoptera in S. Devon. — The spring bees and other Aculeates have 

 so far been very scarce this year. Neither the sallow nor the blackthorn blossom 

 produced a single species worth catching. In April I found a single Halictus 

 xanthopus, Kirb., ? , which was stylopized. I have not previously noticed it so 

 attacked. Andrena minutula, Xirb., was also taken so affected for the flrst time. 



