362 THE INSECT WORLD, 



September. It costs the males their life, as it does with the hive 

 bees. The impregnated females do not lay till the following spring ; 

 it is they who, after the winter is passed, will become the mothers 

 of new generations. They will take the reins of the family when the 

 mother who founded the colony, the males, as also the workers, shall, 

 according to the laws of Nature, have passed away. There are often, 

 on the other hand, some workers which, born in the spring, become 

 fruitful, and lay the same year, but only the eggs of males. These 

 become a butt for the jealousy of the reigning mother, who pursues 

 them with fury, and devours their eggs. These, however, have them- 

 selves cruel hearts. Animated by a profound jealousy, they dispute 

 the occupancy of the cells savagely, so as to be able to lay a few eggs 

 in them, which are no sooner laid than they are destroyed by their 

 savage sisters. However, they never make use of their stings in any 

 of these attacks. The humble bee population is peaceful, even in its 

 combats. After the first cold weather in autumn, all these insects, as 

 we have said, perish, except the pregnant females. These privileged 

 depositaries of the race, spes altera damns, look for a place of retreat, 

 and there sleep till the following spring. Then they wake up and 

 found new colonies, which continue the race. 



For^a long while were confounded with the humble bees certain 

 insects which have the same appearance, that is to say, a hairy body, 

 with bands of various colours, but whose hind legs are adapted 

 neither for gathering honey nor for building. These are the genus 

 Psithyrus: it was Lepelletier de Sain t-Fargeau who discovered their 

 true position. These are parasites, and only consist of males and 

 fertile females, without workers. They lay their eggs in the nest of 

 the humble bee. They are, indeed, so like their hosts, that they can 

 introduce themselves into their dwellings without raising any suspicion. 

 The humble bees admit them freely, and receive them as if they 

 belonged to the family ; so much so, indeed, that the poor humble 

 bees themselves bring up the larvse of these impudent guests. In 

 the Order Hymenoptera one meets with many examples of these 

 sorts of parasites, which instal their progeny in the nest of another 

 insect, as the cuckoo does in the nests of other birds. 



SOLITARY BEES. 



We have up till now found the insects of the great family of bees 

 collected together in perfectly organised societies. But there are a 

 great number of species of this family which live alone. We will 

 briefly mention the most interesting of them. 



