102 INSTRUCTIONS IN COLLECTING 



INSTRUCTIONS IN 



COLLECTING 



THE ACULEATE HYMENOPTERA. 



By Frederick Smith. 



It has been suggested to me that a few words of advice upon 

 this subject would be acceptable. My own method I am 

 most willing to make known ; but it is always best in these 

 matters to begin at the beginning ; this is left out of the re- 

 quest which lies before me — " First catch your hare :" this 

 suggests the important question, Where shall I find one ? a 

 very important item, and upon the attainment of such know- 

 ledge greatly depends the success of the Hymenopterist. 



" Where there are flowers, there will be bees :" to this, as 

 a general rule, I assent ; but it is not to these situations I 

 would lead the young Hymenopterist. If while collecting 

 it is your aim to acquire a knowledge of the species, seek 

 for the habitations of the bees. In spring the Andrenidce 

 are the first that appear; at this season search care- 

 fully sandy banks, hedge rows and sunny slopes ; the little 

 hillocks turned up by the bees on issuing forth from their 

 hybernaculum cannot escape your notice : for some days, 

 males only will be observed, these will in all probability be 

 found on the nearest flowers, if not observed on their first 

 issuing from the burrows ; revisit such spots a few days after 

 securing the males, and in all probability the females will be 

 obtained; great care should be taken to attach some mark 



