Australian species of Trigona. 151 



wax placed wherever convenient. As the comb is built 

 it is encased in a sheet or circular case of wax about 

 one- sixteenth of an inch away from the cells, to which it 

 is fastened by stanchions or beams of wax, though some- 

 times attached immediately to a cell in places. Outside 

 the brood-nest and surrounding it, is usually a band of 

 shapeless passages formed of wax and much smeared 

 with adhesive gum, in which the bees seem to loiter 

 much. The honey and pollen-pots are placed against 

 this highly cellular structure on all sides. The pollen is 

 damp or pasty, and is stored in pots exactly similar to 

 those which contain honey. On account of the dark 

 colour of the wax these pots cannot be distinguished, 

 and to obtain the honey the whole mass is usually 

 squeezed, so that it gets largely mixed with the pollen, 

 and receives a sour taste that it has not when in a pure 

 state. Four or five pounds of honey would be a fair 

 yield for one of these hives, and they are not much 

 valued even by the natives. 



They are a very fierce variety, and are without fear, 

 and, although they are stingless, are quite capable of 

 defending themselves. Each bee, except when gathering 

 pollen, has a small quantity of colourless gum, of an 

 extremely adhesive nature, on its hind legs ; this sub- 

 stance is placed in a thin coat over the wax in the lyve, 

 and the bees walk over it without inconvenience. The 

 hive-entrance is very carefully guarded by a line of bees, 

 who inspect every one that arrives, and it is surprising 

 to see how soon a stranger is discovered and pounced 

 on by several before it has time to alight ; when caught 

 one bee holds each leg, which it stretches out to its full 

 extent, the wings are treated in a similar manner, and 

 in this position they remain quietly about an hour, when 

 the intruder is usually dead. The object of these robbers 

 is to steal gum, which is placed about the entrance to 

 keep vermin away. 



On one occasion (December, 1882) two of these hives 

 threw off swarms simultaneously, which unfortunately 

 came in contact with one another, when a deadly fight 

 ensued, and was continued until the whole were strewn 

 about in a tangled mass dead, chiefly in and about a box 

 which they seemed to have fought for ; in single combat 

 they catch each other by the abdomen and tear out the 

 intestines, never releasing the hold once taken, both in- 

 variably being killed. The mandibles are well developed. 



