134 Mr. F. Smith on 



not to raise too many useless feeders. The first SAvarm- 

 ing that I observed occurred during a thunder-storm. A 

 great number left their hive, with their queen, just as I 

 have seen the honey-bee Apis melUfica, and indeed their 

 mode of life appears to be almost identical." 



The vakie of these observations will be appreciated by 

 every Entomologist, since, taken in conjunction with 

 those published in my former paper on the stingless honey- 

 bees, we have now acquired almost a comj^lete history of 

 their economy. In Mr. Peckolt's notes on difi'erent 

 species, we find the observations of former naturalists fully 

 corroborated ; he says, some construct their nests in 

 hollow trees, some in the ground, whilst others construct 

 suspended nests of clay on trees and bushes. The quality 

 of the honey varies considerably in the different species ; 

 of one it is said to be very good, that of another tolerably 

 so, of another it is poor and rather tasteless, whilst that 

 of some is said to be unpalatable. 



With regard to the different modes of building, we are 

 prepared to expect such to be the case ; having examined 

 the mandibles of a large number of species, I have found 

 some which have those organs finely denticulate on their 

 inner margin, others with only five or six strong teeth, 

 whilst many species have the mandibles edentate. The 

 quality of the honey will, of course, depend upon the 

 flowers from which the bees extract it. The honey col- 

 lected by the hive-bee in this country differs in quality 

 according to the district in which it is obtained by the 

 bees : I have been informed that honey from some of the 

 districts in Hampshire is perhaps the finest of all ; this 

 is said to be attributable to the extensive heaths, covered 

 with Erica, from which the bees obtain the honey. Many 

 of our solitary bees are rarely observed to visit any but 

 particular flowers, and probably such is the case with 

 different species of the genus Trigona. 



The observations on various solitary Hymenoptera are 

 also interesting ; the following are the most so : I have 

 retained the local names given by Mr. Peckolt, and have, 

 when possible, added the scientific one also. 



Trigona Jatai. This species produces a very fine kind 

 of honey. 



Trigona basalts. This is called dog-bee, or earth-bee, 

 because it makes its nest in the ground, not in trees 

 like Trigona rnficrus. 



Trigona Cupira is an earth-bee, and makes good 

 honey. 



