THE HUMBLE BEES 41 



species more resemble those of the hive bee 

 than do those of the carder bees. Mr. Sladen 

 has made many experiments in trying to domesti- 

 cate humble bees, and succeeded so far with 

 Bombus terrestris (pi. D, 29, our common black 

 and yellow banded species with a tawny tail) 

 as to get it to breed in captivity, and in 1899 

 was able to show nests in full work at the Maid- 

 stone agricultural show, the bees coming in and 

 out of the building to their nest. An inter- 

 esting case of one of the carder bees (Bombus 

 agrorum) is recorded by F. Smith. It invaded 

 a wren's nest, heaping up its pollen, etc., amongst 

 the eggs of the bird, till the parent bird was 

 forced to desert the nest. The underground 

 species are more subject to the attacks of 

 cuckoos than the carder bees. Altogether 

 the humble bees afford an excellent subject 

 for study, as they appear to be amenable to 

 treatment, and to any one who could give time 

 and careful attention to them many interest- 

 ing problems connected with them and not yet 

 understood might have light thrown upon them. 

 Dead humble bees are often found in numbers 

 in a mutilated state, under lime trees. These 



