Bramble-bees and Others 



of pitch. Does the insect collect resin im- 

 paired by the weather, soiled by the sanies of 

 rotten wood? When kneading it, does it mix 

 some dark ingredient with it? I look upon 

 this as possible, but not as proved, as I have 

 never seen the Bee collecting her resin. 



While this point escapes me, another of 

 higher interest appears very plainly; and that 

 is the large amount of resinous material used 

 in a single nest, especially in that of An- 

 thldium quadrilohiim, in which I have counted 

 as many as twelve cells. The nest of the 

 Mason-bee of the Pebbles is hardly more 

 massive. For so costly an establishment, 

 therefore, the Resin-bee collects her pitch on 

 the dead pine as copiously as the Mason-bee 

 collects her mortar on the macadamized road. 

 Her work-shop no longer shows us the nig- 

 gardly partitioning of a Snail-shell with two 

 or three drops of resin; what we see is the 

 whole building of the house, from the base- 

 ment to the roof, from the thick outer walls 

 to the partitions of the rooms. The cement 

 expended would be enough to divide hundreds 

 of Snail-shells, wherefore the title of Resin- 

 bee is due first and foremost to this master- 

 builder in pitch. Honourable mention should 



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