March 1, 1808.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



51 



that fertilization of plants is brought about by the 

 unceasing industry of the bees. 



Ungratefulness in man is so common a characteristic 

 that we must not be surprised to find that so little interest 

 is taken in the study of our British bees. It is sufficient 

 for the majority to know that " bees make honey." 



For those who (/" desire to be soothed by the humming- 

 bee, or to follow out the habits and economy of our British 

 bees, the choice of books on the subject is by no means 

 a large one. They are; "Bees of Great Britain," by 

 Frederick Smith ; Shuckhard's " British Bees " ; and the 

 most valuable work, " The British Apidffi," by Edward 

 Saunders. Mr. Saunders is always ready and willing to 

 help young students in naming their captures. It is one 

 of our greatest pleasures to look back upon the many 

 instances of kindness received from the late Frederick 

 Smith, who was in every sense a true lover of bees — one 

 who would inspire enthusiasm in the heart of a young 

 beginner. The collection of British bees at the Natural 

 History Museum, South Kensington, was under his affec- 

 tionate care years ago at the British Museum. 



The first family, the Anilnn'uhr, is divided into two sub- 

 families ; the first composed of two genera only, possessing 

 tongues much like the Vespidie, obtuse and rounded ; that 

 of Colletes being very beautiful when fully expanded 

 (Fig. 1, Collcfcs l)avic>i(inii). There used to be a very 

 large colony of this species at Farnborough, where I have 

 seen hundreds of the burrows close together in the sand- 

 banks. In some of the woods near Aldershot there were 

 also a number of colonies, many of which appear now to 

 have become deserted. The exceedingly neat looking 

 species, C. sucfincta, I used to find at Ilampstead Heath, 

 but, like other things, it has now disappeared from that 

 neighbourhood. The bees of this genus have exceedingly 

 sharp and powerful stings, and the legs are clothed with 

 most beautiful hairs of varied form. 



The members of the other obtuse-tongued genus, 

 Prusopis, are all small in size and more or less black. 



They are exceeding- 

 ly fond of the flowers 

 of the vetch. The 

 males are most dili- 

 gent in their pursuit 

 of the females. 



The second divi- 

 sion, in which are 

 classed those bees 

 possessing tongues 

 more or less acute, 

 is composed of a 

 number of genera. 

 Like those of the 

 first part, the mem- 

 bers of these genera 

 are solitary in their 

 habits. The females 

 burrow into the sand for some considerable depth, and 

 line the sides of the burrow with an exceedingly fine mem- 

 brane, resembling goldbeaters' skin — only considerably 

 thinner. 



The bees belonging to the genus Sphecodfs are small, 

 measuring from three-eighths to half an inch long. They 

 have black heads and bright, shining red bodies. They 

 are fond of settling on the bare patches of sand at 

 Hampstead and in other places where they are tolerably 

 plentiful, the females being more so than the males. 

 The sculpture of the thorax is well worth examination. 



The next genus, Halutus, is composed of many species, 

 of some which are very small, but all are exceedingly 



Fig. 1. — CoUeles Daviesana. 



neat in their appearance. Both sexes of many species 

 appear in September, when, after impregnation, the females 

 hybernate, and make an early appearance the following 

 spring, when they are busily engaged forming burrows in 

 the sand. Many species are very fond of the flower of the 

 dandelion, and may frequently be found curled up asleep 

 in a half-closed flower. A close watch on these and other 

 flowers during the early hours of the day will often be 

 rewarded by good captures. The tongues of all the 

 Halicti are long and lanceolate, and require great care 

 and patience to expand and set out so that all the exquisite 

 structure may be revealed. 



We next turn to the genus Anihemt, which contains the 

 greatest number of species both rare and beautiful. In 

 this genus are the bees which herald the approach of 

 spring. Many of them visit the opening catkins of 

 the willow, and, like the Lepidoptera, soon become 

 intoxicated, and fall an easy prey to the first prowling 

 naturalist. It is, indeed, a glad time when, after 

 weeks of cold and foggy weather, the bright sun 

 breaks out, bringing with its genial warmth these pretty 

 brown bees, each one arrayed in such a perfectly fitting 

 costume of plumed hairs, and their delicate wings glinting 

 in the sunshine — for bees must have bright sunshine to 

 enjoy their lives to the full. I have often heard the 

 remark that it is not much or any use going out in search 

 of bees before nine o'clock in the morning. This was 

 specially impressed upon me when receiving directions 

 as to how, when, and where to look for that most extra- 

 ordinary parasite Stijhips, which is found in the abdomen 

 of several of the AwlnncE; but having formed some 

 original ideas concerning Stytops I am afraid I quite 

 disregarded most of my friend's instructions. Instead 

 of nine o'clock, I was on the ground before eight — 

 waiting for the bees — and as they seemed to be rather 

 behind time I commenced to search for their burrows, 

 which, after a little experience, I was enabled to detect by 

 noting the disturbance of a few grains of sand. By 

 quickly inserting the bent end of my digger (an old half- 

 round file) a short distance away from the burrow, I was 

 able to heave out in nine times out of every ten the 

 Andrena, with the moisture clinging to its still yet untried 

 wings. Its astonishment at being so unceremoniously 

 " lifted " appeared to deprive it of the power of sudden 

 flight, and before it could recover it was under close 

 examination, and if stung by Stylops it was boxed at 

 once. I placed many of these " stylopized" Andn-na- in 

 various parts of Hampstead Heath, hoping to establish 

 the parasite in parts somewhat remote from the area so 

 dear to the holiday makers during Easter (the time 

 when many species of Andn-na are most plentiful), but 

 Hampstead Heath has, within the past twenty years, 

 considerably altered its appearance. Where there used to 

 be rising sandbanks, the head-quarters of endless bees 

 and sand wasps, there is now an unsightly cinder path 

 crossing the very spot which was once the citadel of these 

 beautiful bees, and where, in July, could be seen dozens 

 of the burrows of the sand wasps, ('erceris (Hiiimia and 

 ornata. Last year I visited this locality several times, 

 but not a single Veneris did I find. The beautiful Andremi 

 fulva, with its bright chestnut-coloured abdomen, has not, 

 I am rejoiced to say, yet been exterminated, though how 

 long it will be able to exist time alone will show. Its 

 bright colour is too tempting to the sharp eyes of Easter 

 Monday Cockneys. Fig. 2 shows the head and mouth 

 organs of Andrena fulra, which, together with others of 

 the genus, burrow deep down into the sand, throwing up 

 quite large heaps, which frequently are trodden flat to the 

 ground when the industrious female is out collecting pollen 



