LEAF-CUTTING BEES 53 



legs, and then cuts it out by means of her jaws, 

 or mandibles ; as soon as it is cut free she uses 

 her wings and so prevents herself from falling, 

 and goes off with the cut off piece safely held 

 under her body by her legs. I have frequently 

 seen bees flying home with their leafy burden, 

 and once or twice I have seen them cutting the 

 pieces out. They cut round the piece they select 

 with great rapidity the marvel is that they can 

 arrange so exactly as not to fall when the last 

 attachment is removed. The pieces they cut 

 have to be of several shapes in order to build up 

 the cell they require; some are more or less 

 lozenge shaped, some almost circular; the 

 cells they make are somewhat thimble-shaped. 

 The lozenge-shaped pieces are used to build up 

 the sides and lower end of the cell, and the 

 circular pieces to close it in with at the top ; it 

 is all cemented together with a gluey substance 

 excreted by the bee. The burrows of the leaf- 

 cutters are made, as stated above, either in the 

 ground or in rotten wood. I have never had a sub- 

 terranean nest to examine, but have had several 

 nests in rotten wood under my notice, one of which 

 is now before me (pi. C, 23). It is in a piece of very 



