52 



HYMENOPTERA 



out of pieces of the leaves of plants. We have several species in 



Britain ; they are very like the common honey-bee in general 



appearance, though rather more robustly formed. These Insects, 



like the Osniiae, avail themselves of existing hollow places as 



receptacles in which to place their nests. M. alljocincta frequently 



takes possession of a deserted worm-burrow in the ground. The 



burrow being longer than necessary the bee commences by cutting 



off the more distant part by means of a barricade of foliage ; this 



being done, it proceeds to form a series of cells, each shaped like 



a thimble with a lid at the open end (i'ig. 22, A). The body of 



the thimble is formed of large oval pieces of leaf, the lid of 



smaller round pieces ; the fragments are cut with great skill from 



the leaves of growing plants by the Insect, which seems to ha^'e 



an idea of the form and size of the piece of foliage necessary for 



each particular stage of its work. 



Home has given particulars as to the nest of Megachile anthra- 



cina (^fasciculata), an East Indian species.^ The material employed 



was either the leaves of tlie Indian 



pulse or of the rose. Long pieces 



are cut by the Insect from the 



leaf, and with these a cell is formed ; 



a circular piece is next cut, and 



with this a lid is made for the 



receptacle. The cells are about 



the size and sliape of a common 



thimble ; in one specimen that 



Home examined no less than 



thirty-two pieces of leaf disposed 



m seven layers were used for one 



cell, in addition to three pieces for 



the round top. The cells are 



carefully prepared, and some kind 



of matter of a gummy nature is 



p oo TVTi« <-• f 1 *• i..- believed to be used to keep in 

 Fig. 22. — Nidifacation of leaf- cutting _ _ ^ . 



bee, Megachile anthracina. A, one place the pieceS forming the in- 



i!L7,r''*^'-''"^' ^tJ, °ri' *i' terior layers. The cells are placed 



larva (a) reposing on the food ; B, -^ ^ 



part of a string of the cells. (After end to end, as shown ill Fig. 22, B ; 

 °^^ five to seven cells form a series, 



and four or six series are believed to be constructed by one pair 

 ^ Trans. Zool. Soc. London, vii. 1870, p. 178. 



