24 INSECT ARTIZANS AND THEIR WORK 



material over a comparatively wide area, so as not 

 to be incommoded by it being too near the pit 

 mouth, at this stage. This is effected very rapidly, 

 but methodically, by means of its fore and hind 

 legs, whilst the movements of the bee, as a whole, 

 depend upon the middle pair of limbs. The front 

 pair of legs in one second make four distinct move- 

 ments backwards, throwing the soil under the body 

 where it can be reached by the hind legs, which are 

 stretched outward in a manner that sweeps the 

 earth to each side. Then the bee returns to the 

 hole, digs out more earth, hoists it out, and distri- 

 butes it as before. 



Miiller found that each excavating operation took 

 a minute or two, but the distribution of the soil 

 was effected in fifteen seconds. As the shaft gets 

 deeper, so a corresponding increase of the time is 

 required for getting up the debris ; and when at 

 length the full depth has been reached there are 

 the brood-chambers to be excavated. These number 

 from three to six, and the first made is at the 

 bottom of the shaft. The provisioning of this cell 

 with pollen is completed before the second one 

 is dug out. For this work Dasypoda is well organized. 

 Her hind legs are densely coated with long hairs, 

 and able to hold a great quantity of pollen. It 

 has been ascertained that a normal load of pollen 

 is equal to half the bee's own weight, and six of 

 such loads are required to properly provision one cell. 

 With a little honey to bind it, this pollen is kneaded 

 into a ball. Then a further load of pollen is 



