Bramble-bees and Others 



lerles in a large block of oak that served as an 

 arch for my stable-door; I have always found 

 the second, who is more widely distributed, 

 settling in dead wood — mulberry, cherry, al- 

 mond, poplar — that was still standing. Her 

 work is exactly the same as the Xylocopa's, 

 on a smaller scale. A single entrance-hole 

 gives access to three or four parallel galleries, 

 assembled in a serried group; and these gal- 

 leries are subdivided into cells by means of 

 saw-dust partitions. Following the example 

 of the big Carpenter-bee, Lithurgus chrysu- 

 riis knows how to avoid the laborious work 

 of boring, when occasion offers: I find her co- 

 coons lodged almost as often in old dormi- 

 tories as in new ones. She too has the tend- 

 ency to economize her strength by turning 

 the work of her predecessors to account. I 

 do not despair of seeing her adopt the reed 

 if, one day, when I possess a large enough 

 colony, I decide to try this experiment on her. 

 I will say nothing about Lithurgus cornutus, 

 whom I only once surprised at her carpenter- 

 ing. 



The Anthophoras, those children of the 

 precipitous earthy banks, show the same 

 thrifty spirit as the other members of the 



228 



