NOTES ON THE HABITS OF INSECTS. 387 



from rain, which might penetrate it, and' getting into the nest 

 destroy the young larvae, she first closes it in the same man- 

 ner as the first, and then adds a layer of much larger grains of 

 sand. Alighting on the gravel-path, she selects a grain suited 

 to her purpose ; she carries it to her nest, holding it in her 

 mandibles, turns it about to find where it will fit best, then, 

 guiding it with her maxillae, and covering it with saliva from 

 her tongue, she presses it down into its place, and flies off for 

 another. 



MaoTttKa ^' ola tIupoktiv vTrtopofloKTi ■^(eXidwv 

 "A\poppov Ta-)(^LV(i TrsTerai (oiov aWov dyeipew. 



Another and another are fetched until, the aperture being 

 securely closed, her labour is done ; she has provided for the 

 continuance of her race, and with her maternal care ends also 

 her life. 



But after all her toil, it often happens that the whole of the 

 brood is destroyed ; and instead of our observing next spring 

 the appearance of bees descended from the one whose labours 

 we have observed, we see come forth a small Hymenopterous 

 insect, having, like most dandies, nothing but a gaudy dress 

 to recommend him. 



Thus also does it sometimes happen, when some giant in 

 science has been toiling day after day and night after night, 

 bearing in mind the words of Moore, who is an Irishman — 



" And the best of all ways 

 To lengthen our days 

 Is to steal a few hours from the night" — 



when, after much toil and trouble, both of body and mind, he 

 thinks to immortalize his name amongst scientific men, in steps 

 some upstart, whose knowledge is mere outside show, and 

 having clandestinely gained some little acquaintance with the 

 object and result of his researches, endeavours, by a paltry 

 appearance of priority, to defraud him of his just reward. 



The intruder, in the case of our little insect, is Chrysis 

 cyanea, which, during the absence of the mother, has deposited 

 her eggs in the cells ; the larvae produced from these feed on 

 the larvae of the Chelostoma, and undergo their metamor- 

 phosis in cells prepared for these last. 



Osmia bicornis also nidificates in the posts of the same 

 charmille, which moreover afTords food and dwelling-places to 



