FAMILIiE. (Apis. **. e. 2.) 201 



With respect to the history, economy, &c. of 

 the Bombinatrices, I cannot do better than abridge 

 the account of these which Reaumur has given us, 

 first observing that the females usually make their 

 appearance early in the spring, as soon as the cat- 

 kins of the different species of Sali.v are in blossom, 

 upon which at this time they may commonly be 

 seen, collecting honey from the female, and pollen. 

 from the male catkins, although I have also seen 

 them employ their tongue in the latter ; the ap- 

 pearance of the neuters is later, and the males are 

 most common in the autumn, when the thistles 

 are in blossom, upon the flowers of which they are 

 abundant, sometimes seemingly asleep, or torpid, 

 at others acting as if intoxicated with the sweets 

 they have been imbibing. When these animals, 

 of any sex, are walking upon the ground, if a fin- 

 ger be moved to them, they lift up the three legs of 

 one side to defend themselves, which gives them 

 a very grotesque appearance. Their nests are of- 

 ten found in meadows and pastures, sometimes in 

 groves and hedge-rows, where the soil is entangled 

 -with roots, and now and then in heaps of stones. 



^' When they do not meet with an accidental 

 cavity ready made, they excavate one themselves 

 with great labour, which they cover with a thick 

 convex vault or coping of moss, the interior sur- 

 face or roof of which is sometimes cased or ceiled 

 with a kind of coarse wax, in order to keep out the 

 wet. At the lower part of the nest is an opening 



for 



