FAMILTiE. {Melitta. *. a.) 131 



Calculated to assist it in the construction of tlie 

 membranaceous cells, which the Wise Author of 

 nature has instructed it to form to receive its eggs. 

 I have not been fortunate enough to meet with its 

 nidi myself; but Reaumur has given a very enter- 

 taining account of them, which, as his work is not 

 in every bodies hands, I cannot do better thail 

 abridge. It is contained in the fifth Memoir of 

 his sixth volume, upon those bees " dont les nids 

 sontfaits d'especes de membranes soyeusesj* From 

 the figure which he has given of the proboscis and of 

 the insect (.?), there can be no doubt of his intend- 

 ing an individual of this family. " They make 

 their nests," this author informs us, " in the earth 

 that fills the vacuities of certain stone walls : some 

 of them choose a northern aspect sheltered by trees. 

 These nests are cylindrical, and consist of from two 

 to four cells, placed end to end, each of which is 

 shaped like a thimble, the end of the second fitting 

 into the mouth of the first : the cells are not all of 

 an equal length, some being five, others only four 

 lines long : their diameter is about two lines. 

 The cylinder usually runs in a horizontal direction, 

 but sometimes, from the intervention of a stone 

 or other obstacle, it takes a different course, so 

 that the last cell or cells form an angle with the 

 first : it is distinguished by transverse bands of 

 different colours ; the narrowest bands, which are 

 at the junction of the cells, are white ; the broadest, 

 {s) Reaum. torn. Q. Mem. 5. p. 131— 13g. Tab, 12. fig. 1—13. 

 K 2 which 



