280 Annals Entomological Society of America [Vol. X, 



half millimeters long and one millimeter wide; are white, 

 sub-crescentic, tapering somewhat at one end, with both ends 

 rounded. 



General Notes on B. aiiricomiis. 



Within a short time after the nest had been transferred to 

 the observation box, the queen and worker seemed to be 

 entirely at ease, and performed their duties as if nothing had 

 happened. Food, consisting of a mixture of honey and water, 

 was supplied to the queen and worker in small tin containers 

 for several days after the transference of the nest. Feeding 

 was necessary because the bumblebees w^ere not allowed their 

 freedom for several days after transference. 



During the early stages of the history of the colony, the 

 queen and solitary worker applied themselves industriously to 

 their work. Just how the queen laid her first eggs, and cared 

 for her first brood, I was unable to observe, as the nest was not 

 taken in time; but the procedure probably does not differ 

 essentially from that followed at a later date. The queen and 

 her worker devoted much of their time to the tasks of feeding 

 the larvae, and of brooding over the comb, especially that part 

 containing the egg cells. While brooding over the comb, the 

 queen frequently and intermittently made a loud purring 

 noise, accompanied by a sharp twitching of the wings. This 

 purring of the queen could frequently be heard almost sixteen 

 feet from the nest. On June 28, two more workers, both some- 

 what larger than the first worker, emerged within twelve hours 

 of each other. On July 7, there were eight workers in the nest, 

 all of which had emerged about a day or so apart. Such an 

 irregularity in the rate of emergence of the first few workers, 

 tends to support my belief that the first eggs laid by the queen 

 of this species are laid separately, and at different intervals; 

 instead of several eggs being laid at the same time in one batch. 



In order to examine the eggs and young larvae, the queen 

 and workers were often removed from the nest, and then later 

 returned. If one tried to open a cell while the queen or workers 

 were around, the bumblebees would attack the forceps used 

 in the operation, and bite them with their mandibles. Again, 

 the bumblebees would cover over the cells, almost as fast as I 

 could pry off the coverings without danger to the cell contents. 



