HYMENOPTEEA. 365 



struction, simply make cylindrical vases. There are among the 

 humble bees races of artists and races of simple builders : the one 

 construct with taste, the other only seek the useful. 



During the day, the humble bees cull honey from the flowers. 

 At night they enter their home ; but a certain number take the 

 liberty of sleeping out. Surprised by the arrival of night, in 

 the bottom of the calix of a sweetly- scented flower, they philo- 

 sophically determine to sleep in the open air, lying on this 

 perfumed bed, with the heaven as their canopy. 



The coupling of the humble bees takes place towards the end of 

 September. It costs the males their life, as it does with the hive 

 bees. The impregnated females do not lay till the following 

 spring ; it is they who, after the winter is passed, will become the 

 mothers of new generations. They will take the reins of the family 

 when the mother who founded the colony, the males, as also the 

 workers, shall, according to the laws of nature, have passed away. 

 There are often, on the other hand, some workers which, born in 

 the spring, become fruitful, and lay the same year, but only the 

 eggs of males. These become a butt for the jealousy of the 

 reigning mother, who pursues them with fury and devours their 

 eggs. These, however, have themselves cruel hearts. Animated 

 by a profound jealousy, they dispute the occupancy of the cells 

 savagely, so as to be able to lay a few eggs in them, which are no 

 sooner laid than they are destroyed by their savage sisters. How- 

 ever, they never make use of their stings in any of these attacks. 

 The humble bee population is peaceful, even in its combats. 

 After the first cold weather in autumn, all these insects, as we 

 have said, perish, except the pregnant females. These privileged 

 depositaries of the race, spem altera domi, look for a place of 

 retreat, and there sleep till the following spring. Then they wake 

 up and found new colonies, which continue the race. 



For a long while were confounded with the humble bees certain 

 insects which have the same appearance, that is to say, a hairy 

 body, with bands of various colours, but whose hind legs are 

 adapted neither for gathering honey nor for building. These are 

 the genus Psithyrus ; it was Lepelletier de Saint-Far geau who 

 discovered their true position. These are parasites, and only 

 consist of males and fertile females, without workers. They lay 



