INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. ^^. 



V. DesAheiUes qui creusent la terre pour y faire- 

 leur nids. This order, the individuals of which 

 construct their cells in little burrows, which 

 they excavate in banks, pathways, &c. con- 

 tains both genuine Apes and Proabeilles^ 

 {Melitta, K.) {s). 



VI. Des Aheilles dont les nids sont fcdts d'especes 

 de memhranes soyeuses. The insects that ni- 

 dificate in this manner, belong to the first 

 family of my genus Melitta{t). 



VII. Des Aheilles Tapissieres. These insects 

 excavate burrows in hard pathways, and line 

 their little apartments in a most curious man- 

 ner with the petals of the common poppy. 

 I do not know that we have any of them in 

 England {u). 



Of these, the first, second, third, fourth, and 

 sixth, are natural families, or subdivisions of fami- 

 lies ; but the fifth contain species not only of dif- 

 ferent families, but genera. Thus we see this great 

 author, without any hypothesis in view, but solely 

 by following nature, has furnished us with a clue 

 for the construction of five natural subdivisions in 

 the genus Apis. This was doing a great deal be- 

 fore a genuine generic character had been formed. 

 Bazin, a French author, or rather compiler, for he 

 seems to have done little more than abridge Reau- 

 mur, has altered the names of some of his families, 



{s) Ibid, ad p. 97. (/) Ibid. Mem. 5. ad p. 13y. 



(w) Ibid. a. p. 139. usque ad fin. 



E 2 and 



