Bramble-bees and Others 



Osmia housed in a wide tube begins with the 

 partitioning. 



Her division is made by a dab of clay 

 placed at right angles to the axis of the cylin- 

 der, at a distance from the bottom which is 

 fixed by the ordinary length of a cell. This 

 wad is not a complete round; it is more cres- 

 cent-shaped, leaving a circular space between 

 it and one side of the tube. Fresh layers are 

 swiftly added to the dab of clay; and soon 

 the tube is divided by a partition which has a 

 circular opening at the side of it, a sort of 

 dog-hole through which the Osmia will pro- 

 ceed to knead the Bee-bread. When the vic- 

 tualling is finished and the egg laid upon the 

 heap, the hole is closed and the filled-up par- 

 tition becomes the bottom of the next cell. 

 Then the same method is repeated, that is to 

 say, in front of the just completed ceiling a 

 second partition is built, again with a side 

 passage, which is stouter, owing to its distance 

 from the centre, and better able to withstand 

 the numerous comings and goings of the 

 housewife than a central orifice, deprived of 

 the direct support of the wall, could hope to 

 be. When this partition is ready, the provi- 

 sioning of the second cell is effected; and so it 



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