140 



liatclicd without undnc drviiiii', in an avei'age of abont six weeks. 

 Evidently she is able to produce fertile eggs several months after 

 mating and, qnite jDOSsibly, as long as her egg-laying period 

 lasts. 



At the present writing (April 1) this female appears to be 

 well-fed and contented tho she has produced no more egg-cases. 



Bees Destructive to Hardwood. 



BY J. F. ILLINGWOETir. 



Xylocopa acncipennis de Geer, Lilliurgiis (ilbofimhriafus Sich. 



These two species were found recently, working in a largo 

 block of Koa (Acacia hoa Gray), which had been stored for some 

 time, with other lumber under a building. The principal dam- 

 age was to the sap-wood, but in several j^laces the burrows ex- 

 tended into the hardest portions of the seasoned heart-wood. 



The first species made its entrance thru the ends of the 

 block, following pretty much the grain. Opening up the inside, 

 the nest was found to be a series of longitudinal, tubular bur- 

 rows, placed side by side; each individual burrow being about 

 3 to 6 inches in length, and the sev(n-al chaml)ers were connected 

 by side openings. Young in all stages wcn-e fotmd, but only one 

 specimen in each tube. The lower end of the chambers contain- 

 ing the larvae was stored with a pollen-mass, -similar to ordinary 

 bee-bread; and each slender white larva rested with its head in 

 this. In several of the tubes partial wooden partitions had been 

 formed across, near the end, from chewed wood-pulp. The 

 small chambers thus set off were about three-fourths of an inch 

 in length, and in one case several of these had been formed one 

 above another ; their use is not evident, since the pupae usually 

 lie exposed in the cavities in which they have developed. 



Another block of wood was found later that showed perfectly 

 the partitions, in Avhieh case they were entire, enclosing full- 

 gi-own larvae, one above another, in seric^s of threes. 



The burrows of the small species were much more irregular, 

 cutting in every direction. In many places they ojiencd into the 

 chand)ei-s of the large species ; and they probably lived harmo- 

 niously together, for ap])arently they used the same exit. 



No specimens of Liilnnyus were found in the nest, but the 

 appearance would indicate that it had been recently abandoned. 

 In the ends of many of the burrows were the fresh cocoons of 

 the' emerged bees, and in some places the dry bee-bread still 

 remained. 



