BO MB US LAPIDARIUS 155 



over, the red in fresh specimens of lapidarius is 

 brighter than in any other species except B. lapponi- 

 cus, the mountain bee, making it one of the most 

 handsome of our native insects. 



B. lapidarius is abundant in England, but less 

 common in Scotland, and it is not found in the north 

 of Scotland, though of late years it has become 

 tolerably common in Orkney. It is common in 

 many parts of Ireland. It extends across Europe 

 into Asia, but it is not found in the central and 

 northern parts of Scandinavia. 



On the Kentish coast, in average seasons, the 

 queens do not begin to emerge from their winter 

 quarters until about the middle of May, and they 

 continue appearing until the middle of June. 



The usual position of the nest is under the 

 ground : and the tunnel is generally from 18 

 inches to 2 feet long, but sometimes it extends to 

 3 feet, and in one nest I dug up it was over 7 feet. 

 I have never found an unsheltered nest on the 

 ground, but a favourite place is in the walls of barns 

 and outhouses, often at a considerable height above 

 the ground. The name lapidarius was given to 

 this species on account of its habit of nesting under 

 large stones, a position that would doubtless be to 

 its taste in a rocky country. 



A large number of workers are produced. The 

 comb has a particularly neat and clean appearance. 

 The cocoons are pale yellow. The wax is of a 

 lighter brown than that of any other species, in fact 

 it is almost yellow ; it is produced in great quantity, 



