22 



THE HOME OF THE BEES. 



inch a day. I don't think myself she bores more than one-half 

 inch, if she does that. If I mistake not, it takes her about two 



days to make her own length at 

 the iirst start; but this being 

 across the grain of the wood, 

 may not be so easily done as the 

 remainder, which runs parallel 

 with it. She always follows the 

 grain of the wood, with the ex- 

 ception of the entrance, which 

 is about her own length. The 

 tunnels run from one to one and 

 a half feet in length. They gen- 

 erally run in opposite directions 

 from the opening, and sometimes 

 other galleries are run, one di- 

 rectly above the other, using the 



same opening. I think they only 

 18. Female Stylops. mftke n(JW tunnels when old ones 



are not to be found, and that the same tunnels are used for many 

 years. Some of the old tunnels are very wide. I have found 

 parts of them about an inch in diameter. I think this is caused 

 by rasping off the sides to procure the necessary material for 

 constructing their cells. The partitions are composed of wood 

 raspings, and some sticky fluid, probably saliva, to make them 

 adhere. 



" The tunnels are sometimes taken possession of by other bees 

 and wasps. I think when this is the case, the Xylocopa prefers 

 making a new cell, to cleaning 

 out the dirt and rubbish of the 

 other species. I frequently find 

 these bees remaining for a long 

 time on the wing close to the 

 opening, and bobbing their 

 heads against the side, as if 

 fanning air into the opening. I 

 have seen them thus employed 

 for twenty minutes. Whether 

 one bee or more makes the tun- 19 - Carpenter Bee. 



nel, that is, whether they take turns in boring, I cannot at 

 present say. In opening the cella (Fig. 21), more than one are 



