CURIOUS DISCOVERY. 59 



tunnelled out, it betakes itself, with some half-dozen boon com- 

 panions, to a capacioufcdandelion, and there makes a night of it. 

 The darkness coming on the flower, of course, shuts up ; and 

 then the boozy company, huddled up together, have to pass the 

 night as best they can. In early morning, when the flowers 

 arc first opening to the sunshine, you may often light upon theao 

 little knots of topers, in that stupid, half-awake condition which 

 plainly warns you they have- had a jovial night. The tiling is 

 of constant occurrence, and hence the name the little tipplers 

 bear. 



Now for our discovery, which relates, indeed, to another and 

 still stranger manner in which this little Bee sometimes passes 

 the midnight hours. In searching along a hedgerow one after- 

 noon, we came upon a spot where a number of small Bees v ere 

 flying about a dead bush of hawthorn, which had been thrust 

 into the hedge to stop a gap. Looking closely at the dead and 

 leafless bush, we were surprised at seeing a considerable number 

 of the Bees impaled, apparently, on the points of the thorns ; 

 but a nearer inspection showed us that the little fellows were 

 voluntarily holding on to the thorn points with their mandibles, 

 their bodies being held out straight and rigid, and their legs 

 folded placidly beneath. Our presence seemed in no way to in- 

 terrupt them, and continual fresh arrivals at the bush came and 

 settled within a few inches of us. It was a curious spectacle, 

 and we watched it intently. The little fellows all assumed their 

 attitude of repose in the same manner, first alighting on a twig 01 

 the bush, then getting on the chosen thorn, with their heads 

 towards the point, and when at the very extremity, turning 

 themselves round, seizing the point with their mandibles, and 

 stretching out their bodies straight and stiff. It was getting late, 

 and suspecting the insects were settling themselves for the night, 

 we visited the place again early the following morning, when, to 

 our astonishment, the thorns were still bristling with Bees, that 

 had apparently remained motionless throughout the night, still 

 holding on by their jaws alone ! We wrenched off a twig with a 

 dozen of the Bees attached to it, and yet not one of them relaxed 

 its hold : we held it up, swung it as we went along, and still they 

 held on, and kept their bodies out as rigid as before ! 



Xcver having seen any record of this singular habit, we wrote 

 to Mr. F. Smith on the subject, and he brought the matter before 



