FAlMILt^. (Jpis. **. c. 2. /S.) 173 



Linneus observes upon this bee " In arhorihus 

 cavis nidos construit ;" but he takes no notice of 

 the materials of which the nidi were made: this 

 deficiency has been supplied by Mr. James Trim- 

 mer and Sir Thomas Cullum. The former of these 

 gentlemen sometime since informed me, that 

 having frequent opportunities of watching the 

 motions of Apis manicafa, and finding that it 

 constantly attended Stackj/s Germcmica, Agros- 

 temma coronaria, and other woolly leaved plants 

 which grew in his garden ; he was curious to know 

 the reason of this preference. It was not long 

 before his curiosity was gratified, and he discovered 

 that it was the wool which covers the surface of 

 the leaves of these plants, that was the attraction ; 

 for he observed the little animal, with her strong 

 maxillae, scraping it off with great industry and 

 perseverance; and while these were thus employed, 

 rolling it up, with her fore legs, into a little ball ; 

 making all the time a considerable hum. The use 

 to which she applied the material thus collected 

 Mr. Trimmer could never discover, we only con- 

 jectured that she employed it in the construction 

 of her nest. Our conjecture is almost turned into 

 certainty, by the following account, given, by my 

 ingenious friend Sir Thomas Cullum, to Mr. 

 Marsham, of a nest which he found made of 

 similar materials. He thus expresses himself con- 

 cerning it in a letter to that gentleman. " I ob- 

 served in a look to one of my garden gates, that 



the 



