Bramble-bees and Others 



to eight cells. A large, rough earthen stop- 

 per finishes the nest at the entrance to the 

 shell. 



As a dwelling of this sort could show us 

 nothing new, I chose for my swarm the Gar- 

 den Snail {Helix caspitum) ^ whose shell, 

 shaped like a small, swollen Ammonite, 

 widens by slow degrees, the diameter of the 

 usable portion, right up to the mouth, being 

 hardly greater than that required by a male 

 Osmia-cocoon. Moreover, the widest part, in 

 which a female might find room, has to re- 

 ceive a thick stopping-plug, below which there 

 will often be a free space. Under all these 

 conditions, the house will hardly suit any but 

 males arranged one after the other. 



The collection of shells placed at the foot 

 of each hive includes specimens of different 

 sizes. The smallest are i8 millimetres^ in 

 diameter and the largest 24 millimetres." 

 There is room for two cocoons, or three at 

 most, according to their dimensions. 



Now these shells were used by my visitors 

 without any hesitation, perhaps even with 

 more eagerness than the glass tubes, whose 



1.7 inch. — Translator's Note. 

 2.936 inch. — Translator's Note. 



174 



