55 



CHAPTER III. 



CARPENTER-BEES; CARPENTER-WASPS; UPHOLSTERER-BEES. 



CARPENTER-BEES . 



A MONG the solitary bees are several British species, which 

 * coine under that class called carpenter-bees by M. 

 Reaumur, from the circumstance of their working in wood, as 

 the mason-bees work in stone. We have frequently witnessed 

 the operations of these ingenious little workers, who are 

 particularly partial to posts, palings, and the wood-work of 

 houses which has become soft by beginning to decay. Wood 

 actually decayed, or affected by dry-rot, they seem to reject 

 as unfit for their purposes ; but they make no objections to 

 any hole previously drilled, provided it be not too large ; and, 

 like the mason-bees, they not unfrequently take possession of 

 an old nest, a few repairs being all that in this case is 

 necessary. 



When a new nest is to be constructed, the bee proceeds to 

 chisel sufficient space for it out of the wood with her jaws. 

 We say her, because the task in this instance, as in most 

 others of solitary bees and wasps, devolves solely upon the 

 female, the male taking no concern in the affair, and probably 

 being altogether ignorant that such a work is going forward. 

 It is, at least, certain that the male is never seen giving his 

 assistance, and he seldom, if ever, approaches the neighbour- 

 hood. The female carpenter-bee has a task to perform no 

 less arduous than the mason-bee ; for though the wood may 

 be tolerably soft, she can only cut out a very small portion 

 at a time. The successive portions which she gnaws off may 

 be readily ascertained by an observer, as she carries them 

 away from the place. In giving the history of a mason- 

 wasp (Odynerus), at page 22, we remarked the care with 

 which she carried to a distance little fragments of brick, 



