406 STINGLESS HONEY BEE. 



The color of the brood cells is light brown, while 

 the honey pots are dark brown. The honey is of a 

 slightly reddish tint and musky flavor ; not as pleas- 

 ant to the taste as common honey. This, however, is 

 doubtless owing to the flowers from which it is gath- 

 ered ; as the honey gathered by the Italian bees dur- 

 ing Mr. Biglow's sojourn on the Isthmus, was of the 

 same character. 



The stingless bee is much smaller than the com- 

 mon bee, and resembles a fly almost as much as it 

 does a bee. d represents it life size, and e the head 

 separate. They are of a yellowish-gray color, hav- 

 ing the rings of the abdomen striped ; the joints or 

 folds being yellow and the centers of the rings gray. 

 Their bodies are thickly set with fine down-like hair. 



I have made careful examinations, and find them 

 to be without stings. As a means of defense, they 

 resort to biting with th^l jaws, and darting at their 

 enemy in a menacing manner. 



This variety of bee doubtless might be made profit- 

 able in most of the warm latitudes. 



This nest was found within a recess in the wall of 

 a stone building in the city of Panama. The room 

 in which the nest was found, was also occupied by a 

 family of the natives, who, together with the bees, 

 entered by the same door. 



The space occupied by the nest was of a capacity 

 of about eleven hundred cubic inches ; three-fourths 

 of which was occupied by the honey pots, and the 

 balance by the bees and brood cells. 



