THE INDUSTRIES OF WILD BEES 279 



resin. Dasypoda improves on the methods of Andraena, 

 and instead of leaving a conspicuous mound of loose sand 

 and earth at the mouth of the burrow, disperses it with 

 her feet, lest it should attract the notice of a spoiler. 



(c) HUMBLE-BEES. 



Let us next consider the economy of the humble-bees, 

 which show a distinct advance upon the simple arts of 

 the solitary bees. 



In early summer we see big humble-bees flying abroad 

 and at times exploring the holes in a stone wall or a 

 bank of earth. The large black and yellow humble-bee is 

 probably Bombus terrestris, which makes a subterranean 

 nest. The moss-carding bee (B. muscorum) is much 

 smaller, and has a reddish thorax and a yellowish abdomen. 

 The fierce B. lapidarius, which makes its nest among 

 loose stones, is about as large as B. terrestris, but has the 

 end of the abdomen reddish-brown. 



The moss-carding humble-bee (B. muscorum) does not 

 usually burrow, but makes its nest on the top of the 

 ground in meadows or among trees. Here they are often 

 cut through by the scythe and picked up by the mowers. 

 There is no readier way of getting to see these nests than 

 to visit a meadow which has just been cut. A nest may 

 be five or six inches in diameter, of low rounded form, 

 with arched roof, and concealed by moss, ferns, grass or 

 dead leaves, which are carefully arranged so as to give 

 the outside as natural an appearance as possible. A 

 narrow gallery, covered with moss or the like, and often 

 several inches long, guards the entrance. The moss 

 which covers the nest is never brought from a considerable 

 distance, nor do the humble-bees ever carry it through 

 the air. They push it backwards towards the nest with 

 their legs, the head of the bee pointing away from the 

 nest. With their legs also the bees card or teaze out moss 

 or other vegetable tissues, reducing them to the condition 

 of fine threads, which are employed to conceal or to line 



