Mr. F. Smith's Notes, Sfc. 293 



XLII. Notes on the Parasites of the Genus Nomad a and 

 on other Insects. By Mr. F. Smith. 



[Read 4 April, 1842.] 



On the 18th of June, 1839, I discovered a colony of Eucera 

 longicornis, and liaving learned from Mr. Shuckard that the 

 ^' Nomada Schafferella" was parasitic upon it, I watched the spot 

 some hours, and at that time succeeded in taking only two speci- 

 mens; I therefore concluded I was too late in the season for them, 

 finding the majority of the Eucerce were torn in the wings and 

 their colours faded to light grey. 



ISiO, June 2nd. I again visited the spot and found both 

 Eucera and its parasite abundant ; even then I was rather late for 

 the males of the Nomada. I took but three specimens of the latter, 

 the male of which is the ^'■Nomada connexa" Kirby. I observed the 

 Nomada entering the burrows of the Eucera, and sometimes even 

 jostling which should enter first ; the Nomada generally conquered, 

 and then the bee would fly off. They appear to live in perfect har- 

 mony together ; but if the parasite enters a burrow, and the bee 

 arrives before it has quitted the nest, she appears to discover its 

 presence immediately, and the moment she inserts her head into the 

 entrance, she stops short, and quickly retreating flies ofl^'. Being 

 now satisfied of the connection existing between the bee and its 

 parasite, I became anxious to attempt breeding them under my own 

 personal observation, and for that purpose, in August 1840, I dug 

 up several nests, which are formed thus: — the female burrows a 

 cylindrical hole to the depth of about six or seven inches, in a 

 stiffish clay, and then forms a chamber that would about contain 

 the cocoon of the silk worm ; and having (as a])pears from the 

 polished surface) smoothed and coated the cell with gluten she 

 deposits at the bottom, to the extent of about one-fourtli, a dark 

 coloured mixture, probably pollen and honey ; then she stores 

 about two-fourths of the remaining space with a bright yellow 

 pollen, and the remaining fourth with a substance nearly white : 

 this I found to be the case in four nests which I dug up in June 

 1840. I was unsuccessful in my attempt to breed the insects; 

 they all perished, I presume, for want of a sufficient degree of 

 moisture, as I did not place the nests in a sufficient quantity of 

 mould, nor keep them moist, as in their natural position. 



1841, March 1.5th. 1 visited the spot, and after an hour's 

 labour succeeded in digging out several cocoons containing bees 

 or parasites. I took a quantity home, and on opening the cells ! 



