70 INSECTS. 



duties of the colony, the queen continuing to lay eggs, 

 and the colony growing rapidly in numbers. In mid- 

 summer a brood is produced of small females and males. 

 The broods of autumn produce only large females (or 

 queens), and only these survive the winter. With the 

 coming of cold weather, all others perish. 



A study of the life of a colony explains the scarcity of 

 bumblebees in spring and early summer. Considered in 

 connection with their fertilizing agency for red clover, 

 it explains the scarcity of seed in the first crop, and gives 

 a reason why the second crop (the late crop) is always the 

 one to be cut for seed. 



The bumblebee is a representative of the group Hyme- 

 noptera (or membrane- winged insects). 



Other Hymenoptera are ants, bees, hornets, wasps, saw- 

 flies, gallflies, etc. The three mentioned below are per- 

 haps most easily procurable. 



THE MUD WASP (OR MUD DAUBER). 



The Mud Wasp is a solitary hymenopter. The adult 

 female lives and labors alone. The nests may be found 



in abundance, adhering to the 

 rafters in any barn loft or wood- 

 house attic, and are too familiar 

 to need description. 



In very dry weather in summer 

 or autumn, the adults may be ob- 

 served by any brookside, at the 

 edge of the water, rolling up lit- 

 OUTLINE DRAWING AND DIA- tie balls of mud and flying away 

 GRAM OF A WASP (wings w ith them. The same operation 



and legs of right side not _ , , . t n 



shown): a, abdomen. niay often be seen beside a well 



