1 66 THE HUMBLE-BEE 



land. In the south of England the queens appear 

 in March and April, and they commence nesting 

 earlier than those of any other species ; the males are 

 plentiful in June, and the colonies break up in July. 

 Occasionally, however, specimens may be seen in 

 August and September. During the first week in 

 September 191 1, some pratorum workers were busy 

 on the flowers of scarlet runner beans in a garden at 

 Ripple when the workers of all the other species 

 were lethargic and their colonies on the eve of 

 dissolution. 



This species is very unconventional in the choice 

 of its abode. Sometimes a bird's nest is utilised, it 

 may be in an ivy-clad tree at some height from the 

 ground : sometimes its dwelling is at a short distance 

 under the ground, and here a decaying tree-root is a 

 favourite place. Often the nest is situated on the 

 surface like that of the carder-bees, but it is generally 

 in a wood or under a bush or tree. 



The colonies are not so large as those of terres- 

 tris and lapidarms, and the workers are very meek 

 when the nest is disturbed. The wax is dark brown. 

 The pollen is stored in waxen cells built singly on 

 eminences ; these cells are smaller, and of a more 

 regular shape than the pollen cells of tei'restris. 



The queens are very fond of the flowers of Ribes 

 sanguineum, and the workers and males of raspberry, 

 blackberry, Cotoneaster, and the woody nightshade 

 (Solatium dulcamara). 



