The Glow- Worm and Other Beetles 



and of Newport's to rear the young Meloe- 

 larvae. Instead of offering them honey, or 

 larvae, or nymphs, we should have placed 

 them on the eggs recently laid by the Antho- 

 phora. 



On my return from Carpentras, I meant 

 to try this method, together with that of the 

 Sitares, with which I had been so successful; 

 but, as I had no Meloe-larvae at my disposal 

 and could not obtain any save by searching 

 for them in the Bees' fleece, the Anthophora- 

 eggs were all discovered to have hatched in 

 the cells which I brought back from my ex- 

 pedition, when I was at last able to find some. 

 This lost experiment is little to be regretted, 

 for, since the Meloes and the Sitares ex- 

 hibiting the completest similarity not only in 

 habits but also in their method of evolution, 

 there is no doubt whatever that I should have 

 succeeded. I even believe that this method 

 may be attempted with the cells of various 

 Bees, provided that the eggs and the honey 

 do not differ too greatly from the Antho- 

 phora's. I should not, for example, count 

 on being successful with the cells of the 

 three-horned Osmia, who shares the Antho- 

 phora's quarters: her egg is short and thick; 

 and her honey is yellow, odourless, solid, al- 

 most a powder and very faintly flavoured. 

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