328 l\Tr. J. TT. TTart on the Tlahi'ts of a Species o/'Trigona. 



but after the first day tlioy closed the lower entrance very 

 completely with a sticky kind of wax, and adopted a small 

 crack in the upper portion of their box as the entrance. To 

 tlie inside of this crack they attached a tube similar to the one 

 first observed, but com])letely adapted to the new position, by 

 first building it along the crack and afterwards in a pendulous 

 manner downwards. 



"Wishing to have the insects more completely under obser- 

 vation, I built a small glass-sided box with sliding covers, 

 made an entrance for them in the top gable, and transferred 

 them thereto. They again took very kindly to their new 

 quarters and commenced work by ra])idly sealing up every 

 crevice, making their home practically air-tight. To the 

 entrance they again attached the entrance-tube^ which in this 

 case was brought from the entrance inwards, but built in the 

 same manner as the previous ones. It was, however, sup- 

 ported by wax stays, by which it was held at about | inch 

 distant from the inside wall. 



During the removal from their former home opportunity was 

 taken to examine the construction of their peculiar entrance- 

 tube, and it was found on making a section that it was con- 

 stricted in several places by disks, leaving only sufficient 

 space in the centre for the passing of one bee at a time; and, 

 if beaten back from the first, they have still the chance of 

 holding the inner ones in succession. These constrictions and 

 the sealing-up are evidently adopted by the insects as a means 

 of defence against their enemies. A farther defensive 

 measure may be seen if the nest is examined after nightfall, 

 when it will be found that the orifice which admits of ingress 

 and egress during the day is sealed completely over, all but 

 imperceptible orifices being left in the closing sheet of wax, 

 wc suppose for the admission of air. This safeguard is regu- 

 larly removed in the early morning near daybreak, and again 

 closed each night after nightfall. The honey-cells of this 

 bee are distinct from the breeding-cells, are ovate in shape, 

 over I inch in length, and somewhat pointed at the closed 

 apex ; and the food- or pollen-cells are of the same form and 

 size, but situated at a different part of the hive. The honey- 

 cells are separated from the rest of the nest ; they are affixed 

 closely together, and arc somewhat irregular in size, but 

 firmly fixed to the side-wall of the hive in one layer only, 

 cones pointing upwards. The pollen-cells arc spread over 

 the floor-space, reminding one of sacks of grain in a granary. 

 The breeding-cells are not more than f inch in length, regu- 

 larly oval and in single tiers, held in position separate from 

 each other by small wax stays, which leaves each cell sepa- 



