PLA Te oe 33 
« In firmeft oak they fcoop a {pacious tomb, 
“© And lay their embryo in the {purious womb *.” 
We find this feafon, the Apis Centuncularis has done confiderable 
injury among the Timber Plantations. in Effex; and we have fimilar 
information from fome parts of Cambridzefbire. A Gentleman fent 
me (early in the Spring) a piece of Oak, containing a quantity of 
the larva, from his plantation at Birdbrook, in Effex. He informs 
me, feveral Gentlemen in his neighbourhood had found large trunks 
of apparently healthy Oaks, completely perforated and filled with the 
larva of this mifchievous Infect ; in many inftances the trunk had been 
materially injured, and the cafes were arranged as fhewn by the hori- 
zontal Seétion at Fig. 4, in our Plate——The perforations were in a 
longitudinal dire&tion, feveral feet through the folid timber, and wher 
the leaves were frefh, appeared as fhewn at Fig. 1. 
The Infe& commences its operation at the upper part of the trunk 
of the tree; then boring in an oblique direction for about two inches 
et more, it follows a longitudinal courfe, it divides the ligneous fibres, 
or threads, till it forms the diameter of the cavity, which is about 
three-eighths of an inch, its depth various ; {ometimes only a few inches, 
at others, confiderably more ; when the cavity is entirely formed, and 
all the duft and fragments cleared away, it finifhes the fides perfectly 
fmooth ; the hardeft knot in the timber being infufficient to refift the 
ftrength of its jaws.—The cavity, when finifhed, appears divided 
by flight ridges, placed at the -diftance of about three quarters of 
an inch from each other; this ferves to regulate the fize of each 
apartment or cell; and it now only remains to be lined for the 
reception of the egg: this lining is generally compofed of rofe- 
leaves; and is applied to the apartments in a very curious manner : 
_the Parent Bee flies with a leaf to the orifice of the perforation, where 
| fhe clips it round to the fize of the hole; this is forced to the bottom 
of the loweft cell; about feven, eight, or ten of fuch pieces form 
“the firft layer; it next forms the fides, or cylindrical part of the 
lining ; this is done by laying feveral whole leaves partly over each 
OE er SS SREP ESO SSS SI 
* Brookes on Univerfal Beauty, 
other, 
