THE CAHDTNG BEE. 



Peculiar habits nests. 



THE CARDING BEE AND OTHERS. 



Almost all the carding bees perish in the 

 winter ; a few of the females only survive. These 

 usually make their appearance early in the spring, 

 as soon as the catkins of the willows are in blos- 

 som ; upon which, at this time, they may com- 

 monly be seen collecting honey from the female, 

 and pollen from the male catkiqs. The neuters 

 do not appear till the spring is somewhat ad-r 

 vanced ; and the males are most common in au- 

 tumn, when the thistles are in blossom, upon 

 the flowers of which they are abundant, some- 

 times seemingly asleep, or torpid, and, at other 

 times, acting as if intoxicated with the sweets 

 they have been imbibing. 



Their nest are usually formed in meadows ancl 

 pasture, sometimes in groves and hedge- rows, 

 where the soil is entangled with roots ; but now 

 and then these are found in heaps of stones. 

 When they do not meet an accidental cavity 

 ready made, they excavate one themselves with 

 great labour. This they cover with a thick 

 convex vault of moss, sometimes casing the in- 

 terior surface with a kind of coarse vvax to keep 

 out the wet. At the lower part of the nest there 

 is an opening for the inhabitants to go in and out 

 at. This entrance is often through a long gal- 

 lery, or covered way, a foot or upwards in length, 

 by which the nest is more effectually concealed 



