﻿52 



HYMENOPTERA 



out of pieces of the leaves of plants. We have several species in 

 Britain ; they are very like the common honey-bee in general 

 appearance, though rather more robustly formed. These Insects, 

 like the Osmiae, avail themselves of existing hollow places as 

 receptacles in which to place their nests. M. albocincta frequently 

 takes possession of a deserted worm-burrow in the ground. The 

 burrow being longer than necessary the bee commences by cutting 

 off the more distant part by means of a barricade of foliage ; this 

 being done, it proceeds to form a series of cells, each shaped like 

 a thimble with a lid at the open end (Fig. 22, A). The body of 

 the thimble is formed of large oval pieces of leaf, the lid of 

 smaller round pieces ; the fragments are cut with great skill from 

 the leaves of growing plants by the Insect, which seems to have 

 an idea of the form and size of the piece of foliage necessary for 

 each particular stage of its work. 



Home has given particulars as to the nest of MegacTi Ue anthra- 

 cina (fasciculate/,), an East Indian species. 1 The material employed 



was either the leaves of the Indian 

 pulse or of the rose. Long pieces 

 are cut by the Insect from the 

 leaf, and with these a cell is formed ; 

 a circular piece is next cut, and 

 with this a lid is made for the 

 receptacle. The cells are about 

 the size and shape of a common 

 thimble ; in one specimen that 

 Home examined no less than 

 thirty-two pieces of leaf disposed 

 in seven layers were used for one 

 cell, in addition to three pieces for 

 the round top. The cells are 

 carefully prepared, and some kind 

 of matter of a gummy nature is 

 believed to be used to keen in 



Fig. 22. — Niuincation of leaf- cutting . L 

 bee, MegachUe antfvracina. A, one place the pieces forming the ill- 

 cell separated, with li.l open; the ^ j g> The ceUs are lace( j 



larva (//) reposing on the food; B, J * 



pari of a string of the cells. (After end to end, as shown iii Fig. 22, B ; 

 Hon "' J five to seven cells form a series, 



and four or six series are believed to be constructed by one pair 

 1 Trans. Zool. Soc. London, vii. 1870, p. 178. 



