1917] Notes 071 Bombidce 285 



and honey kept in two others. The original honey-pot measured 

 on July 3, twenty millimeters in height and seventeen milli- 

 meters in width. 



M Habits of the Drones and Queens. 



The drones, besides fertilizing the queens, do not contribute 

 much to the welfare of the colony. After emerging, the drone of 

 this species stays in the nest for several days; then flies out, 

 sometimes returning and sometimes not. While in the nest 

 the drones are very alert, and always retreat to the bottom of 

 the nest at the first alarm. On several occasions I have seen 

 the drones assist in brooding over egg and larval cells. The 

 males of B. auricomus have very large eyes which, together with 

 several other characteristics, caused this species, along with 

 others, to be placed by Robertson in a new genus Bombias. 

 (Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. Vol. 29, 1903, pp. 176, 177.) Dr. H. J. 

 Franklin, however, does not accept Bombias as a valid genus, 

 regarding it instead as a subgenus. (Bombidce of the New World. 

 Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, Vol. 38, 1913, p. 410.) I have seen the 

 drones of this species hovering for hours about a particular 

 fence-post in the sun, and from there darting out from time to 

 time. On one occasion, I tried for two successive days to catch 

 a male of this species which persisted in alighting on a partic- 

 ularly high weed in a sunny situation, and was at length suc- 

 cessful. Here also, it may be mentioned that B. separatus 

 Cress., another member of the subgenus Bombias, with large 

 eyes, has the same habit of selecting fence-posts, trees, and 

 other prominent objects, and remaining about them for many 

 hours. I have never seen a male of B. aiiricomiis attempt to 

 copulate with a queen in the same nest. 



The new queens assist in the general work of the nest, and 

 seem to get along very well together. The queens are probably 

 fertilized by the males after leaving the nest. Hibernation of 

 the young fertilized queens undoubtedly occurs, but I have 

 never found a hibernating queen of this species, nor do I know 

 of one having been found. 



Remarks on Habits. 



Of the several species of Bombus with which I have been 

 working, B. auricomus has the smallest colony, is the most easily 

 handled, and is the most cleanly in its habits. The fasces are 



