The Halicti : Parthenogenesis 



wind and rain. Thus ends the cycle of the 

 year for the Cylindrical Halictus. 



In February, after a hard winter, when the 

 snow had lain on the ground for a fortnight, 

 I wanted once more to look into the matter 

 of my Halicti. I was in bed with pneumonia 

 and at the point of death, to all appearances. 

 I had little or no pain, thank God, but ex- 

 treme difficulty in living. With the little lu- 

 cidity left to me, being able to do no other 

 sort of observing, I observed myself dying; 

 I watched with a certain Interest the gradual 

 falling to pieces of my poor machinery. Were 

 it not for the terror of lea\'ing my family, 

 who were still young, I would gladly have de- 

 parted. The after-life must have so many 

 higher and fairer truths to teach us! 



My hour had not yet come. When the lit- 

 tle lamps of thought began to emerge, all 

 flickering, from the dusk of unconsciousness, I 

 wished to take leave of the I lymenoptcron, 

 my fondest joy, and first of all of my neigh- 

 bour, the Halictus. My son Kmile took the 

 spade and went and dug the frozen ground. 

 Not a male was found, of course; but there 

 were plenty of females, numbed with the cold 

 In their cells. 



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