230 [October, 



BOMBI IN" CAPTIVITY, AND HABITS OF PSITEYRUS. 

 BY r. W. L. SLADEN. 



Taking nests of humble-bees and keeping them under observa- 

 tion in specially constructed hives has been a hobby of mine for some 

 years, and it is astonishing what a quantity of interesting information 

 one can gather in this way about the habits and life-history of the 

 dozen or so species that have been recorded from this country, several 

 of which are very common and familiar to every one. It appears 

 that each species has habits and proclivities more or less peculiar to 

 itself, and these, if they could be accurately observed and recorded, 

 would help very much in the systematic arrangement of the species, 

 which in this interesting genus is unusually difficult, owing to the 

 lack of easily recognisable structural differences, and to the little 

 reliance that can be placed on colouring. 



As a result of taking a number of nests it appears that most of 

 the Bomhi found in this country may be separated into two groups, 

 on what seems to be a rather important difference in the manner of 

 raising their young. These groups may be conveniently named (1) 

 the " pouch-maJcers''' and (2) the '■'■ pollen-stot ers.'' The poucli-mahers 

 form little pockets or pouches of wax at the side of a wax-covered 

 mass of growing larvae, into which the workers drop the pellets of 

 pollen direct from their hind tibiae on their i-eturn to the nest from 

 the fields. The poUen-storers, on the contrary, store the newly 

 gathered pollen in waxen cells specially made for the purpose, or in 

 old cocoons specially set apart to receive it, from which it is taken and 

 given to the larvae through the mouths of the nurse-bees as required. 



I have ascertained that the following species are pouch-maJcers : — 

 B. Smithianus, White. 

 venustus, Smith. 



agrorum, Fab. (the " muscoricm'" of old authors), 

 Derhamellus, Kirby. 

 sylvarum, L. 

 Latreillellus, Kirby. 

 The following are pollen-storers : — 

 B. lapiclarius, L. 

 ter)'csfris, L. 

 It will be noticed that the jyoucJi-makers include roughly the 

 timid species that live in small colonies above the surface of the 

 ground. The "' poJlen-sforers,'" on the contrary, consist of the bolder 



