THfe POPPY BEE. 



Description Forms her nest in the ground. 



any regular cells or combs, like some of the 

 others. 



The poppy is a little black bee, about the 

 third of an inch in length. Its head and trunk 

 are thickly covered with hairs of a dirty grey- 

 clour ; and the under part of its body are clad 

 with greyish hairs. The abdomen is somewhat 

 conical, black, and shining ; but its segments 

 are fringed with white hairs. The male is 

 nearly of the same length as the female, but 

 rather narrower, and somewhat more hairy. Its 

 abdomen is inflexed, and not so hairy under- 

 neath as above. The 'last segment terminates in 

 a fork with blunt teeth, and has on each side of 

 its base a sharp spine or point. 



The poppy bee forms her nest in the ground, 

 burrowing to the depth of about three inches 

 At the bottom she makes a large and somewhat 

 hemispherical cavity, which, after being render- 

 ed perfectly smooth on all sides, she carefully 

 lines with a splendid tapestry, selected from the 

 scarlet flowers of the wild poppy. From these, 

 with great dexterity, she cuts pieces of prope? 

 size and form, which she conveys to her cell ; 

 and, beginning at the bottom, covers with it the 

 whole interior of this habitation of her future 

 progeny. The covering is even sometimes ex- 

 tended a little way round the orifice. The bot- 

 Jom is rendered warm by three or four coats, and 

 the sides have never less than two. When the 

 little animal has completed her apartment, she 



