The Halicti : Parthenogenesis 



vations. These females spend the winter In 

 their cells, as do many of the early-hatching 

 melliferous insects, such as Anthophorae and 

 Mason-bees, who build their nests In the 

 spring, the larvae reaching the perfect state In 

 the summer and yet remaining shut up in their 

 cells until the following May. But there Is 

 this great difference in the case of the Cylin- 

 drical Halictus, that In the autumn the fe- 

 males leave their cells for a time to receive the 

 males under ground. The couples pair and 

 the males perish. Left alone, the females re- 

 turn to their cells, where they spend the In- 

 clement season. 



The Zebra Halicti, studied first at Orange 

 and then, under better conditions, at Serignan, 

 In my own enclosure, have not those subter- 

 ranean customs: they celebrate their weddings 

 amid the joys of the light, the sun and the 

 flowers. I see the first males appear in the 

 middle of September, on the centauries. Gen- 

 erally there are several of them courting the 

 same bride. Now one, then another, they 

 swoop upon her suddenly, clasp her, leave her, 

 seize hold of her again. Tierce brawls de- 

 cide who shall possess her. One Is accepted 

 and the others decamp. With a swift and 



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