40 



PSYCHE. 



[March 1S94. 



industriously tunnels out an elaborate 

 burrow in maple several inclies from 

 the bark, wherein it forms its cells. 



The tunnel was over three inches long and 

 about three-tenths of an inch wide. It con- 

 tracted a little in width between the cells, 

 showing that the bee worked intelligently, 

 and wasted no more of her energies than was 

 absolutely necessary. The burrow contained 

 five cells each half an inch long, being rather 

 short and broad, with the hinder end rounded 

 while the opposite and next to the one ad- 

 joining, is cut off squarely. The cell is some- 

 what jug-shaped, owing to a slight constric- 

 tion just behind the mouth. The material of 

 ■which the cell is composed is stout, silken, 

 parchment-like, and very smooth within. 

 The interstices between the cells are filled 

 with rather coarse chippings made by the 

 bee. 



The bee cut its way out of the cells in 

 March, and lived for a month afterwards on a 

 diet of honey and water. It eagerly lapped 

 up the drops of water supplied by its keeper, 

 to whom it soon grew accustomed, and whom 

 it seemed to recognize." 



Osniia lignaria and O. pacijica Say, 

 on the coiitrary, build their cells under 

 stones, while O. simillima Smith, one 

 of the smallest of our species, constructs 

 its cells in tiie deserted oak-galls made 

 by Amphibolips conjluens Harris, thus 

 agreeing with Osmia gallarum of 

 Europe. I have also observed another 

 species in a deserted oak-gall in Florida. 



Species in the genus Anthidiiim, 

 according to Westwood, "frequent vari- 

 ous woolh'-leaved flowers, stripping oft' 

 the down with their toothed jaws for the 

 purpose of fonning theii nests " 



The Anthidii, as with certain Odyneri, 

 although said to nidificate usually in 

 holes in trees, will sometimes choose 



odd situations for their nests, the British 

 species Anthidhim 7nanicatiim having 

 lieen twice observed to nidificate in the 

 key-hole of a garden gate. Prof. West- 

 wood thus describes one found in a 

 siinilar position. 



There were twelve or fifteen cells or cases 

 consisting externally of a loose covering of 

 white down within which was another cover- 

 ing more compact and smooth on the inside 

 and within this was contained an oval cell, of 

 a strong coriaceous texture, and of a chestnut 

 color. This latter I consider to be the cocoon 

 formed by the larva itself, because some of 

 my woolly cases contained a mass of matter 

 apparently consisting of dried pollen-paste 

 and the egg deposited with it which had 

 probably on some account proved abortive; 

 and in these there was no oval chestnut- 

 colored cocoon. It was in February that this 

 nest was discovered, at which period some of 

 the cells were empty, the inhabitants having 

 forced off a circular cap from the top of the 

 cocoon and escaped; others, however, con- 

 tained full-sized grubs. 



No observation seems to have even 

 been published on anv of our niunerous 

 species, although many of the species 

 are so plentiful. 



The genera Coelioxys Latr. and 

 Stalls Panzer are parasitic bees, both 

 having been bred in Europe ; the 

 former from the cells of Megachile, 

 Anthophora and Anthidium, the latter 

 from Osmia. No observations on any 

 of the American species have ever been 

 recorded. 



Although the parasitic habits of 

 Stelis was so long known it was not 

 until last year that the true inward his- 

 tory was given in the publication of 

 Mr. C. Veshoeft"'s observations on 



