1913] Wheeler — Notes on the Habits of Some Central American Stingless Bees 5 



work but they rebuilt it each time, till finally, after spending some 

 hours in this destructive employment, my patience was exhausted 

 and I left the little creatures to enjoy their harmless and unobtru- 

 sive existence. 



Trigona townsendi Coekerell. 



The single specimen of this minute bee, which was submitted to 

 Prof. Coekerell, was taken from a nest of T. frontalis at Patulul, 

 Guatemala together with several workers of this latter species. 

 It is therefore, in all probability, an inquiline, which, like so many 

 inquilinous or parasitic bees and ants, resembles its host in size 

 and coloration. 



Trigona stigma F. Smith. 



I saw a populous colony of this singular, slender bee nesting 

 in the trunk of one of the large poisonous manzanilla trees which are 

 common along the sea-beach at Las Sabanas, near Panama City. 

 The entrance of the nest, which was about six feet above the 

 ground, was a slit-shaped hole about § inch long and not pro- 

 vided with a waxen or cerumen spout. When I discovered the 

 nest, a compact swarm of the insects was poised in the air at the 

 entrance, all oriented with their heads towards the hole and their 

 long hind legs dangling. On being disturbed they made no 

 attempt to attack me. By sweeping my hand through the swarm 

 I could collect large numbers, but my hand became very sticky with 

 a colorless propolis which the insects were carrying on their hind 

 legs. A few hours later, when I again passed the tree, the swarm 

 had disappeared. In life the slender abdomen of this bee is of a 

 peculiar livid white color, but in dried specimens it often turns 

 black like the remainder of the body. 



Trigona bipunctata wheeled Coekerell. 



At Patulul, Guatemala, I came upon a colony of this species 

 nesting in the trunk of a large Acacia. The entrance spout was 

 made of yellowish brown cerumen. When disturbed, the bees 

 flew at me but, to my surprise, they neither settled on nor bit my 

 face and hands but rested amicably on my skin and clothing, till 

 I had walked a few paces from the nest, when they all left me. This 

 bee was frequently seen about Escuintla visiting human excrement 

 along the railroad tracks and carrying it away for use in the manu- 



