increased growth of the larvae causes them to he too much confined. 

 We also find in these nests three or four small bodies composed of 

 brown wax, or the saijie matter as the patee, and shaped like tum- 

 blers or almost cylindrical pots, always open, and more or less filled 

 with good honey. These reservoirs of the honey are not always 

 placed in the same situation. It has been asserted that the labovirers 

 employed the empty cocoons for a similar use, but this I doubt, as 

 they are of a silken material and perforated inferiorly. 



The larvae are hatched in four or five days after the eggs have 

 been laid, and complete their metamorphosis in the months of June 

 and July. The labourers remove the wax that clogs their cocoon, to 

 facilitate their issue. It was formerly supposed that they produced 

 labourers only, but we have already seen that some males are among 

 them, whose functions have been indicated. These labourers assist 

 the female in her work. The number of cells which serve as habi- 

 tations to the larvae and nymphs increases, and they form irregular 

 combs placed in stones, on the edges of which we particularly observe 

 the brown patee of Reaumur. According to Huber, the labourers 

 are extremely fond of the ova of the female, and sometimes, in her 

 absence, even break open the cells in whicli they are deposited, in 

 order to suck the milky fluid they contain ! a most extx'aordinary fact, 

 which seems to belie the known attachment of the labojirers for the 

 germs of that race of which they are the protectors and guardians. 

 The wax produced by them, according to this same naturalist, has the 

 same origin as that of our domestic Bee, or is merely elaborated 

 honey that also transudes through the intervals of some of the abdo- 

 minal annuli. Several females live amicably together under one 

 roof and exhibit no symptoms of aversion for each other. They 

 copulate abroad, either in the air or on plants, where I have seen 

 them thus united. The females are much less prolific than those of 

 our domestic Bee. 



The following species are common in the environs of Paris. 



B. muscorum; Apis muscorum, L.; Reaum., Insect., VI, ii, 1, 

 2, 3, yellowish ; hairs of the thorax fulvous. The same colours 

 in all the individuals. 



B. lapidarius ; Apis lapidaria, L. ; Reaum., Ibid., I, i, 4. The 

 female is black, with reddish anus and colourless wings. The 

 male — Bombus arhustorum. Fab. — has the front of the head 

 and the two extremities of the thorax yellow. The anus is red, 

 as in the female. This species make its nest under piles of 

 stones. 



B. terrestris ; Apis terrestris, L. ; B. souterai7i,''Rea.um., 

 Ibid., Ill, i. Black ; posterior extremity of the thorax and base 

 of the abdomen yellow ; anus white *. 

 Sometimes the social Apiariae have no spines at the extremity of 

 their posterior tibise. 



* For the other species, see the Memoir of M. Huber, Lin. Trans., VI ; Jurine 

 on the Hymenoptera, genus Breme, and Panzer on the same order of Insects. With 

 respeet to their male organs of generation, see the Memoir of Lachat and Audouin. 



