97 



Composiice are the commonest and the most often visited 

 by bees in this district. 



At the transitionary point between the lowland and the 

 Cordilleras the ground is more or less rising, here and 

 there swamps are to be found (often strongly impregnated 

 with sahpeter) and nearly everywhere stones (rolHng stones) 

 are found, or even pieces of rock, mixed with the earth. 



In the front ranges to the Cordilleras that rise to the 

 west close to Mendoza (Cordilleras de Mendoza) partly fast 

 rock and partly products of disintegration, in which a great 

 many plants have attached themselves, are to be met with, 

 Here the cactus, with their more or less exquisite, white 

 or yellow, often strong but shortlived aromatic flowers pre- 

 dominate. Larrea cuneifolia is also here in great quantities, 

 and were it not for the cactus, which are everywhere, it 

 might be said that the Larrea was the typical plant of the 

 front ranges of the Andes Mountains. In these semialpine 

 regions many bees occur that are either quite absent or 

 rare on the lowlands. 



The early part of the summer, from the middle of No- 

 vember, is the best time for bees in the above mentioned 

 districts; then the greatest number of species and specimens 

 can be found. Already at midsummer (our Christmas and 

 New Year!) have the bees reached the termination of their 

 lively existence, and the number both of specimens and 

 species begin to diminuish, and by the middle of Januarya 

 very great reduction in numbers is noticeable, although a 

 great number of species are still out, and many first occur 

 late in the year, and ior each month that goes the numbers 

 become smaller and smaller. 



In a certain analogy can it be added here that the 

 majority of bees were out in the late morning, when the 

 weather was normal with sunshine the whole day. The 

 energy of the bees feil considerably at the hottest part of 

 the day (betwen 2 and 3 o'clock). If this condition could 



(Pag. 96—112 printed &-8 08.) 7 



