IN THE BUNGALOW. 



what appears to be a little mass of mud 

 situated in the hollows between the two 

 covers. If we break this little mass open 

 as we probably do at once, we shall find 

 it to consist of several elongate cells 

 placed side by side. If, further, we 

 examine these cells, we may find in each 

 either a little store of pollen and perhaps 

 honey and a small grub or a large white 

 maggot or a bee ready to emerge. This 

 is the little mason bee. 



The female bee makes these cells, 

 half fills them with pollen, lays an egg 

 in each, seals them up, and her life's 

 work is over. The grub on hatching 

 out from the egg feeds on the store of 

 pollen thus provided, and by the time 

 the store has been consumed, it is full- 

 grown and changes into a nymph, from 

 which the bee gradually matures ; when 

 mature, it eats a hole in the mud wall and 

 escapes. If you examine one of these 

 sets of cells some time after the mother 

 bee has made it, you will see that each 

 45 



