Mat 2, 1898.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



97 



Founded in l88i by RICHARD A. PROCTOR. 

 LONDON: MAY 2, 1898. 



CONTENTS. 



British Bees.— Hi. Bv Feed. Enock, f.i.s., f.e.s., etc. 



{Illustrated) ... " 



A Valley on Sao Nicolau, Cape Verde islands. By 



BoTD AlEXAXDEB, ST.B o.u. {Illustrated) 

 Deserts and ttieir Inhabitants. Bt K. Ltdekker, b.a., 



P.R.S. ... 



The Karktinokosm, or World of Crustacea,— ill. By 

 the Kev. Thomas R. R. Stebbiso, m.a., f.b.s., f.l.s. 

 (Illustrated) 



Nebulae and Region round y Cassiopeiae. By Isaac 



EOBBBTS, D.SC, F.K.S. {Plate) 



The Recent Eclipse. By E. Waltee Maunder, f.e.a.s. 



{Illustrated) '. 



Notices of Books 



Books Rkceitsd ... ... ... 



British Ornithological Notes. Conducted by Haebt F. 



WiTHEEBT, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. . . 



Science Notes 



Letters : — Wm. Shackleton {Illustrated) ; Eer. W. Srn- 

 ORBAVEs (Note by E. Waltee MArNDEE) {Illustrated) ; 



G. KOBTHOTEB SiRETTOX ; C. B. HOIMES 



Nature's Finer Forces. — Some Notes on Old Work 

 and New Developments. By H. Sxowde.v Ward, 



F.H.P.S. ... ... 



Botanical Studies. — III. Jungermannia. ByA.VAroHAX 

 Jexnings, f.l.s,, F.Q.S. {Illustrated) 



Notes on Comets and IVIeteors. By W. F. Dknsino, 

 F.E.A.S 



The Face of the Sky for May. By Heebeet Sadleb, 



F.R.A.5. 



Chess Column. By C. D. Locock, b.a 



97 

 100 

 101 



107 

 109 

 111 



114 



115 



US 



119 

 119 



BRITISH BEES.-III. 



By Fred. Exock, f.l.s., f.e.s., etc. 



IT is only when we come to examine the burrows of leaf- 

 cutter bees and dissect the newly formed cells, that we 

 begin to realize the marvellous ingenuity displayed in 

 their construction. AVefind that generally the founda- 

 tion is formed of a circular piece of leaf, which the bee 

 has so rammed down that it fits into the rounded end of the 



Fig. 12.— Foundation of First Cell. 



burrow (Fig. 12). The bee, having satisfied itself with its 

 work so far, next proceeds to exhibit such high intelligence 



that we are bewildered with the thought, " Where does so- 

 called instinct end and reasoning power begin ?" The bee 

 does not hesitate in its work, but as soon as the circular 

 piece of leaf is fixed it seems to recognize in a moment that 

 it would not do to attempt to form the sides of the cells of 

 circular pieces; accordingly, without compasses or two-foot 

 rule, or any other means of measurement than her unerring 

 eye and powerful mandibles, in a few seconds she has cut 

 an oblong wedge-shaped piece of leaf (Fig. 13), which she 



Fig. 13. — First Side-piece cut and carried. 



carries to her burrow, and, taking it down thin end first, 

 carefully places that end in the saucer-shaped foundation 

 (Fig. 11). Another oblong wedge-shaped piece of leaf is 

 cut and carried home and down the burrow, and once more 

 our "superior intellect " is humbled when we find that the 

 bee shows still greater common sense in depositing the 

 second piece than the first, for she so fits it that one edge 

 just overlaps that of the first (Fig. 15). Another visit to 

 the bush outside furnishes an exact counterpart of the first 

 and second oblongs, fixed in the same methodical manner 

 (Fig. 16) ; but still the circle is mcomplete, and for the fourth 



time the untiring architect leaves the nest for the stores, 

 from which it again cuts an oblong, and as quickly returns 

 to its burrow, and so carefully and correctly has it measured 

 the circumference that this fourth piece fits in. just 

 overlapping both the third and first pieces (Fig. 17). 

 Owing to the wedge shape of these four pieces the cell 

 is not by any means fit to receive the nectar and 

 pollen for which it is intended. The bee still works 

 on, cutting another oblong from a leaf, which she places 

 exactly midway over the joint of the first and second 

 (Fig. 18), and so on until she has completely closed every 



