WOOD HUMBLE BEE. 371 



forming a larg'e colony. Thelarvyo soon become full-fed, and 

 then spin a silicon cocoon, in which they pass_Miiii- In Ipliss 

 state. When they have attained the perfect condition, they 

 gnaw round the top of their cocoons, and escape by means of 

 the circular orifice. When they first emerge, their colours are 

 very ill-defined, and several days elapse before the long dow n 

 with which they are so profusely clothed changes to its varied 

 and beautiful colom-ing. 



On Plate XII. Fig. 1, is shown another well-known species of 

 Humble Bee, with her nest. This isjthe Wood Humble Bee 

 (Bomhus lucorum). The colour of this Bee is black, with the 

 front of the thorax and the second segment of the abdomen 

 yellow, and the end of the body white. The worker is scarcely 

 half the size of the perfect female, but is coloured after the 

 same fashion. The male is intermediate in size, and has the 

 face, the front of the thorax, the scutellum, and the two first 

 segments of the abdomen yellow, and the three last segments 

 of the belly white. Beneath it is yellowish -white, and on the 

 tibige is a fringe of yellow hairs. 



This is one of the earliest of the Humble Bees in appearing, 

 and is generally spread over the kingdom. Like one or two 

 other species, it makes its nest underground, and is rather a 

 ferocious sort of Bee, resenting even an approach u i cs nest, and 

 usiriL;" its lar-o sting- vc^ry freely. Many persons have an idea 

 that Humble Bees cannot sting, an idea that is probably 

 originated from the fact that at certain times of the year tlie 

 male B'_'cs. vrliich have no sting, are rather more plentiful than 

 the females. 



Not that they are more numerous, but that we see more of 

 them, because the male Bees have no hard duties to perform at 

 home. They collect no honey nor pollen, they secrete no wax, 

 they build no cells, and they nurse no young. Those Bees within 

 the nest are almost invariably females, while those which roam 

 about at their ease from flower to flower are very often males, 

 and consequently cannot sting their captors. If anyone doubts 

 whether the female Humble Bees have stings, let him attack 

 the nest of any of the underground species, particularly that of 

 the Stone Humble Bee, and he will be speedily convinced of liis 

 error. I have taken the nest of most of the British Huml^le 



B B 2 



