J 50 . FAMILI^. {Apis.**.a.) 



|:o nests of the same insect. Ray suspects it to bQ 

 the male of a bee, now known by the name of 

 j4pis piUpes(q), but which is itself the male of j 



j4. retusa, Lin. and this probably from observing 

 it enter the same nest. From all these circum- 

 stances, combined with the want of means to con- 

 vey pollen, I cannot help entertaining some sus- 

 picion that this family contains insects, somewhat 

 analogous to the Ciiculi amongst the birds, which 

 deposit their eggs in materials collected by more 

 industrious animals for their own offspring. The 

 analogy observable between the instincts of ani- 

 mals, which belong to different departments in 

 Zoology, furnishes a field for curious inquiry hi- 

 therto little explored : 1 wish this hint may direct 

 to that subject the attention of some gentleman 

 who possesses the opportunity of contrasting the 

 modes of life of the different classes of animals. 



The sexes are less easy to be distinguished in 

 this, than in any family with which I am acquain- 

 ted : the additional joint in their antennae and seg- 

 ment in their abdomen, are almost the only notes 

 of difference. 



* *. b. (r) 



H.F. A. (JorpM^ lineari-lanceolatum, tomentoso- 

 maculosum. Capite lato, rotundato, trunco paulo 

 angustiori; Ore crassiusculo ; Prohosdde rectius-^ 



{q) Hist. Ins. p. 243. Species ultima. 

 (?) Tab. 0. * *. b. Nomadaj Fab« 



Cul^ 



