FAMILI^. {Apis. **. e. 1.) 10% 



the Bomhinatrices, the females and males have not 

 the privilege of doing nothing, as is the case with 

 the hive bee, but all work in concert to repair any 

 damage or derangement that may befall theit^ habi- 

 tation. Every nest of these bees, as our author 

 supposes, is at first very small, being originally con- 

 structed and inhabited by a single female, but the 

 eggs which she there deposits soon produce her a 

 numerous progeny. The nests of the Humble 

 Bees are exposed to the depredations of various 

 foes ; ants, the larva of Asilus crabroniformis, seve- 

 ral other Diptera, and some Ti7ietp attack them, 

 but the field mice and polecats are their greatest 

 enemies (z).'* 



Thus far this adm/irable author. He suspects 

 that these insects swallow the pollen which they 

 use for making their paste, and return it again pro- 

 perly moistened, as he did not often observe any 

 little masses of wax, or wrought pollen («) upom 

 their posterior tibiae, at least not so constantly as 

 would be necessary to supply the quantity requisite 

 for their consumption ; yet the females and neuters 

 are furnished with the corbicula, or little basket 

 necessary for that purpose, and I have myself fre- 

 quently seen them with these masses. 



GeofFroy has given an account of the nidifica- 

 4ion of these insects, totally at variance v/ith this of 



(z) Reaum. torn. 6. Mem. I, 



(a) Much curious information upon this subject, is contained 

 in a paper, sent by M. Huber the younger, to the Linnean So- 

 x:iety, which I do not tliink it right to forestall, 



ReaumuTj 



