THE CAEDEE BEE. 369 



Humble Bee, to which species it belongs. Eighteen species of 

 Humble Bee exist in this country, and, escept in some of the 

 more prominent species, it is not easy to identify the insects. 

 Varieties in colour and size are almost interminable, especially 

 among the males ; and so striking are these varieties, that 

 Mr. F. Smith did not dare to publish his researches on the 

 Humble Bees until he had worked for more than twenty 

 years at them. The result of his labours has been — as is the 

 result of all true labour — simplification. He has found that 

 no less than seven species described by Kirby are but varieties 

 of the Carder Humble Bee, and that six more so-called 

 species are varieties of the Meadow Humble Bee. 



Our first example of these insects is the Caeder Bee 

 (Boinhus muscorura), so called on account of the curious 

 manner in which it constructs its nest. One of these insects is 

 represented on Plate XII. Fig. 2, in the act of flying, and 

 with its tongue extended. Part of the nest itself is seen 

 below, with one of the inhabitants just entering it. 



The colouring and dimensions of this Bee are exceedingly 

 variable, but the following description is that which hao been 

 decided upon by Mr. F. Smith : — The Bee is very hairy, 

 and the general colour of the female is black, with the face 

 covered with dull yellow down. The thorax is orange above, 

 yellow on the sides, and grey beneath. The abdomen is more 

 or less banded with black. The male is less than the female, 

 and has the down on the head of pale yellow, becoming 

 blackish on the crown. The abdomen is yellowish-grey, with 

 several ill-defined dark bands. The worker is often barely 

 half the size of the male, and in colour almost exactly re- 

 sembling the female. 



The habits of this species are very interesting. During the? 

 winter, a number of females or ' queens ' lie torpid, as do those 

 of the wasp and hornet, in any convenient crevice that they can 

 find, seldom if ever remaining for that pm-pose in the nest 

 which they inhabited. Hollow tree-trunks, haystacks, the thatch 

 of bams and outhouses, and similar localities, are much favoured 

 by these females, the intended progenitors of future colonies. 



In the spring, the Bees recover consciousness, and at once 

 set to work in searching after fit spots for nest-building. It is 



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