ANTHIDIUM. 283 



a considerable hum all the time she is gathering it, and 

 when the ball is sufficiently large she flies off with it 

 to her nidus ; this operation she continues until suffi- 

 cient is accumulated for her purpose, which consists in 

 lining the cavity with the material ; she then forms cells 

 within it in succession, gluing the same material together 

 to resist the escape of the mixed store of pollen and 

 honey she intends to fill it with, having in the operation 

 smoothed the sides of the cell which is closed after the 

 deposit of the egg, and another similar cell is then pro- 

 ceeded with, and this is repeated until the selected cavity 

 is filled, or that she has exhausted -her store. Having 

 completed her labours, she wanders away. Sometimes 

 the cavity is large and admits of the conjunction of 

 many of these cells together ; in that case they are all 

 collectively covered with the same envelope of downy 

 substance. The larva, having consumed its entire store 

 of food, spins a cocoon of brown silk wherein it remains 

 throughout the winter, and with the evolution of spring, 

 feeling its propulsive energy, it changes into the pupa. 

 In June and July, but earlier if the weather be contin- 

 uously warm, the imago comes forth in its maturity, to 

 live its little life of labour intermingled with pleasure, 

 and in its pleasing hum to give cheerful notification of 

 its perfect satisfaction. 



Genus 21. CHELOSTOMA, Latreille. 

 (Plate XIII. fig. 2, rf ? .) 

 APIS ** c 2 y partly, Kirby. 



Gen. Char. : BODY nearly glabrous and coarsely punc- 

 tured. HEAD subglobose, rather wider than the thorax ; 



