236 NATURE STUDY. 



the hive-bee, but the greater number are solitary, each 

 working for herself, mining in the ground or digging out 

 the pith of sumach, berry and brambles, in which they de- 

 posit eggs and store up pollen for the young. 



While there are many kinds of bees, they can all be 

 grouped in two families by simply examining their 

 tongues, which in all the larger kinds can easily be done 

 with the naked eye. The hive-bees, bumble-bees and 

 carpenter-bees have long tongues, for reaching deep down 

 in flowers, while most of the bees that are solitary, dig- 

 ging holes in the ground or in the pith of shrubs and 

 brambles, have very short tongues. The long-tongued 

 bees belong to the family Apidse, while the short-tongued 

 bees belong to the family Andrenidse. 



Bees and wasps are somewhat difficult to collect, because 

 they inflict painful wounds with their stings. But they 

 are too interesting to be passed by altogether, and, with 

 the help of a pair of small tweezers, they can be trans- 

 ferred from the insect net to the cyanide or chloroform 

 bottle without much danger. For small children, of 

 course, an older companion should do the collecting. 



As with the bees, there are social wasps and solitary 

 wasps. Of the solitary wasps, a few make nests in the 

 pith of dry branches, and .some build mud nests, but the 

 larger number burrow in the ground. Nearly all stock 

 their nests with spiders, grasshoppers and other insects, 

 for the young to feed upon. 



The social wasps are of two kinds — one building a sim- 

 ple paper nest with a single, uncovered comb ; the other 

 building a paper-covered nest with the combs arranged 

 inside in layers. The wasps that make covered nests are 

 commonly known as hornets, or " yellow jackets," and are 

 justly dreaded, for they can sting savagely. Some make 

 their nests in the ground, with a rather weak paper cov- 

 ering ; others hang their nests to the branches of trees or 



