18 Proceedings 
The Carpenter Bees, of the genus Xy/ocopa, are very 
hard-working insects. They make their burrows in a 
wooden post or decaying tree-trunk, often to the depth of 
about twelve inches. A small mass of honey and pollen 
is placed at the end of the burrow and an egg deposited. 
The cell is then closed with the wood dust that is pro- 
duced by the excavating, well kneaded together. Another 
pellet of honey and pollen, and another egg, is then de- 
posited, and so on until the tunnel is nearly filled. 
Although we have no species of Xy/ocofa in this country, 
the Carpenter Bees are represented here by the very much 
smaller species of Che/ostoma, which also burrow in old 
posts, and by the brilliant coloured Cevatina, which prefers 
to make use of bramble stems. 
Anthidium is represented by a single species only in this 
country, and is the only British bee in which the male is 
larger than the female. This bee, which is rather striking 
in its appearance, can often be seen in the hot summer 
months scraping the downy substance from the stems and 
leaves of various plants. With this it lines a hole ina tree 
or post, or any other similar cavity. Although I have often 
watched this bee collecting the material for its nest, I 
have never yet seen the nest itself. Smith says: ‘‘The cells 
are not arranged in the systematic order usually observy- 
able in bee architecture; they are composed of a thin 
semi-transparent membrane, each cell being closed with 
similar membrane after being stored with a suitable supply 
of pollen and honey, upon which an egg has been deposit- 
ed ; in this manner, cell after cell is constructed, until the 
cavity chosen is filled with a suitable number.” 
The Leaf-cutter Bees, of the genus Megachile, are a 
number of very interesting species. Their get their popu- 
lar name from their habit of cutting pieces out of leaves 
of trees and petals of flowers. The leaves of the rose 
tree are frequently used ll our British species burrow 
either into the ground, or into decaying wood. One 
African species is said to burrow into the sides of the hard 
nests of a species of Termes, or “White Ant.” The bur- 
rows, whether in the earth, or in wood, are lined with more 
