COMMON HUMBLE-BEE. 245 



and now dispersing, each seeks a residence for her- 

 self, where she may become the foundress of a new 

 community. Having pitched upon a convenient spot, 

 the laborious insect proceeds to excavate first the 

 passage or gallery, then the nest itself, detaching the 

 soil, as it were, grain by grain ; she seizes the mole- 

 cule with the first pair of legs, transfers it instantly 

 to the second, receives it next with the third, and 

 finally pushes it as far as possible behind her. These 

 excavations, situated often above a foot under the 

 surface, are wholly the work of the solitary female. 

 Sometimes, however, the nest is made close to, or 

 even upon the surface when partially hollow, and 

 covered with dry moss ; but this is not the usual mode 

 pursued by this species, and in such localities the 

 colony is far less numerous than when at a greater 

 depth. 



Having finished the excavation, and carpeted her 

 new dwelling with soft leaves, &c. the insect pro- 

 ceeds to construct brood cells. The wax of which 

 these are formed is secreted, as in the domestic bee, 

 in certain receptacles placed on each side of the 

 middle process of the abdominal scales, and is ex- 

 tracted by the bee in the form of laminae, moulded 

 to the shape of the insect's body. Unlike the Queen 

 of the hive bees, the mother-bee of this family pos- 

 sesses these wax-secreting organs as well as the 

 workers, and produces the substance in greater quan- 

 tity than her progeny. 



The interior of the humble-bee nest (PL XV.) 

 presents a striking contrast to that of the honey-bee 



