STINGLESS HONEY BEE. 405 



Mr. A. J. Biglow, the well-known apiarist of Sac- 

 ramento City, California, while on his return from the 

 Atlantic States, with Italian bees, in November, 

 1860, procured nests of two varieties of stingless 

 bees while on the Isthmus. He brought them home 

 with him, but, unfortunately, all the bees of both were 

 found dead on his arrival.* 



Plate XLVI, fig. 78, represents a side section view 

 of the nest of the variety alluded to by Be van. 



aaa&YG horizontal tiers of brood cells, so arranged 

 that the young bees are bred in a perpendicular di- 

 rection with the head upwards, which is the reverse 

 position of wasps, yellow-jackets, etc. 



b b are honey pots, composed apparently of resin- 

 ous gum or propolis, with a portion of wax intermixed. 

 Whether any of the substance is an animal secretion, 

 is to me unknown. No allusion is made to this par- 

 ticular in any of the accoufc which I have had. 



The pots vary in size, averaging, however, about 

 one inch in diameter and one and one-half inches in 

 depth ; resembling, somewhat, an egg, with the large 

 end downwards. 



They are of an irregular shape, but so joined to- 

 gether as to leave no space between them, and are 

 placed so as to surround the brood cells. 



A portion of the pots are sealed up, while others 

 are shown open at their tops. 



* I am indebted to Mr. Biglow for his kindness in presenting 

 the nests to me, for the purpose of having drawings taken and 

 engravings prepared for this work. 



