1917] Notes on Bombidce 279 



heretofore been found in any species of Bomhus. During the 

 time that this colony of B. auricomus was under my observa- 

 tion, no eggs laid by the queen were ever deposited in batches 

 in a single wax-pollen mass, but always in separate cells. These 

 egg cells, or chambers, were constructed by the queen usually 

 about twelve hours before the eggs were laid. Occasionally 

 an egg cell was constructed, and then allowed to stand empty 

 for several days. The queen usually laid several eggs within a 

 period of twenty-four hours; occasionally laying more, and 

 sometimes not laying any eggs for several days at a time. Eggs 

 laid within a short interval of each other, were deposited in 

 egg cells adjoining one another; thus giving the adjacent egg 

 cells somewhat the appearance of an egg mass, but always 

 spread out over a larger area on the surface of the comb. The 

 place selected by the queen on which to construct her egg cells, 

 was usually on one side, near the top of a newly spun cocoon; 

 or in the depressed area formed between the tops of adjoining 

 cocoons. 



I have never seen a worker of B. auricomus making an egg 

 cell, though there seems to be no reason why an egg-laying 

 worker should not do so. On July 28, the mother queen was 

 lost from the nest ; her loss being traceable to the fact that she 

 fell from the ledge at the entrance of her nest, and as her wings 

 were clipped, could not return. For several days after the old 

 queen disappeared from the nest, the workers were abnormally 

 irritable, frequently biting one another, or chasing one another 

 over the comb. On July 31, several new, empty, separate egg 

 cells were found; and on August 2, these cells contained eggs. 

 These last-mentioned eggs and egg cells were undoubtedly made 

 by egg-laying workers. The stimulus that leads to the con- 

 struction of an egg cell, is probably the same in both workers 

 and queen. This stimulus is possibly due to the presence of a 

 ripe egg in the ovaries. 



On June 26, the queen laid five eggs, which is the largest 

 number of eggs she ever laid during a single day of which I have 

 any record. Before the queen was lost, and after the nest was 

 transferred, she had laid thirty-seven eggs. To this total of 

 thirty-seven eggs must be added the number of eggs, larvae, 

 pupae and adults in the nest at the time the nest was taken, 

 thus making forty-five eggs in all. The eggs are three and one- 



