Bramble-bees and Others 



use of all the mothers returning to the original 

 domicile. There is thus a semblance of col- 

 laboration without any real cooperation for 

 the common weal. Everything is reduced to 

 a family inheritance shared equally among 

 the heirs. 



The number of these coheirs must soon be 

 limited, for a too tumultuous traffic in the cor- 

 ridor would delay the work. Then fresh pass- 

 ages are opened inwards, often communica- 

 ting with depths already excavated, so that 

 the ground at last is perforated in every di- 

 rection with an inextricable maze of winding 

 tunnels. 



The digging of the cells and the piercing 

 of new galleries take place especially at night. 

 A cone of fresh earth on top of the burrow 

 bears evidence every morning to the overnight 

 activity. It also shows by its volume that sev- 

 eral navvies have taken part in the work, for it 

 would be impossible for a single Halictus to 

 extract from the ground, convey to the surface 

 and heap up so large a stack of rubbish in so 

 short a time. 



At sunrise, when the fields around are still 

 wet with dew, the Cylindrical Halictus leaves 

 her underground passages and starts on her 



430 



