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nest was on a hillside and was formed of grass, as my uncle 

 described. 



" The snail-shell contains the cells formed by the individual 

 that made the nest sent ; from this bees may be bred next April. 



" In preserving nests of this kind, as also the brittle tubular 

 structures formed by Odynerus, I use a dilute solution of the 

 gum employed by Coleopterists for mounting beetles. For a 

 nest like that of Osm ia it is most easy to reach all parts with 

 a syringe. This gum dries quickly on a hot day, and the 

 nest can be carefully removed without breakage after this 

 treatment. After one gets home one can apply a stronger 

 solution of the gum at leisure. Except that the nest has 

 settled down a little from the wetting, it is practically in the 

 shape in which it was found. I am unable to suggest any 

 certain use of the heaped-up material that covers the snail- 

 shell. The nest sent would almost certainly have been blown 

 or washed away in heavy storms. While intact, it certainly 

 hides the shell beneath it, but it is itself more likely to attract 

 the attention, than an old empty shell would be ! " 



Mr. A. H. Hamm had also observed Osmia bicolor covering 

 snail-shells with beech-scales, and also with grass. His 

 observations are recorded below : — 



" In the spring of 1893 I was resting on the grassy slope 

 just outside Hardwick Wood, near Mapledurham, Oxon., when 

 I noticed a small red and black bee carrying one of the brown 

 scales that drop from the buds of beech. I watched it, and 

 saw to my surprise that it added its burden to a little mound 

 of similar brown scales. Then, sitting down within a foot or 

 two of the mound I continued to watch the bee's movements 

 as it kept picking up the scales and placing them with the 

 others. Its journeys were very frequent, and were made quite 

 close to the edge of the wood where the scales lay thick on 

 the ground. Looking further afield I saw several other bees of 

 the same kind doing exactly the same thing. I then lifted up 

 one of the mounds and to my surprise found that it covered 

 an empty shell of Helix nemoralis. Several other mounds 

 were examined with the same result. At the time I did not 

 know the name of the bee, but a year or two later ascertained 

 that it was Osmia bicolor, Schk. 



