BOMB US MU SCO RUM 199 



labourers in these marshes who were mowing the 

 hay there, that they frequently came across the nests 

 of a savage yellow bee which they feared to disturb 

 more than a wasp's nest, I asked them when they 

 next found a nest to let me know, and on July 21 

 was summoned to take two nests, both of this 

 species, situated only about ten yards apart in a hay 

 field. So great was the men's fear of getting stung 

 that they did not dare to approach near enough to 

 show me the exact spots, and I found that, as soon 

 as I disturbed the nests, the workers flew round my 

 head in a most menacing manner ; they also had the 

 disagreeable trick of persisting in doing this, follow- 

 ing me wherever I went for a minute or two. In 

 this way the workers of muscorum behave quite 

 differently to those of terrestris, which only attack the 

 lower part of the body and will not follow one to 

 any great distance. It was, however, quite easy to 

 remove both nests without getting stung by taking 

 care not to disturb them much until nearly all the bees 

 had been captured. The nest material was dead 

 grass blades, and the stronger nest contained 52 

 workers, but not nearly all the workers had emerged. 

 There were two waxen honey-pots of a regular, tall, 

 and slender shape, attached to the outside of the 

 comb at some distance from one another. The 

 cocoons were of the same pale-yellow tint as those 

 of helferaniis ; the wax was a shade darker than that 

 of helferanus. The nests were transferred to my 

 garden, but they did not flourish well there owing, 

 perhaps, to the hot, dry weather that prevailed, for 



