Australian species of Trigona. 166 



abdomen. The slightest degree of cold seems to deaden 

 them, while heat induces activity. They treat their 

 queens with the greatest respect, and appear even to 

 fear them. When the young bees have hatched, the 

 cocoons are removed and ])laced in a heap, each being 

 rolled into a ball ; this heap is reduced by fits and 

 starts, and is sometimes not touched for as much as a 

 month. 



The "Kootchar" are easily united by simply taking 

 one queen away and packing her brood-nest, bees and 

 all, against the brood in the hive it is intended to be 

 joined to ; if any bees return to the old hive they may 

 be shaken in at night and the hive removed. This can- 

 not be done with " Karbi," as they would fight and kill 

 one another. 



When either variety takes up its abode in a space 

 that is too large for them they partition it off at a con- 

 venient distance with a wall of Eucalyptus gum mixed 

 with rubbish, which is added to from time to time, and 

 gradually becomes very thick and hard. If broken pots 

 of pollen be placed in a hive when the winter is approach- 

 ing, the broken parts are covered up with wax to pre- 

 serve it ; but, if put in when the spring has broken, it is 

 apparently unheeded. 



Several small birds eat the " Karbi," but I am not 

 aware of any eating " Kootchar." Both varieties have 

 small heaps of soft gum about the size of a pea placed 

 all over the inside of the hive ; sometimes one is placed 

 outside the entrance. This substance is similar to that 

 with which they close their hives at night, and should 

 their hive by any chance get broken a line of it is placed 

 around the opening while it is being closed with a firmer 

 substance. 



The moth* is a small grey insect, the female about 

 seven-sixteenths of an inch in length, the male a little 

 less, having a remarkable yellow tuft over the whole of 

 the front of the head. Eyes black ; long, thin, hair-like 

 antennae ; proboscis but slightly developed, about l-32nd 

 inch long, and curved inwards ; outer wing rounded at 

 the apex, with slight corrugations running half-way up ; 

 under wing, much lighter in colour than the outer, runs 

 to a point at the edge ; both wings have a hairy fringe, 

 but it is fuller and more even on the under. The female 



"" Achroea grisella, Fabr. — E. A. F. 



