INSECTA— BEE. 855 



just been describing. The humble bee^ is the largest of all this tribe, being 

 as large as the first joint of one's middle finger. These are seen in every 

 field, and perched on every flower. They build their nest in holes in the 

 ground, of dry leaves, mixed with wax and wool, defended with moss from 

 the weather. Each humble bee makes a separate cell, about the size of a 

 small nutmeg, which is round and hollow, containing the honey in a bag. 

 Several of these cells are joined together, in such a manner, that the whole 

 appears like a cluster of grapes. The females, which have the appearance 

 of wasps, are very few, and their eggs are laid in cells, which the rest soon 

 cover over with wax. It is uncertain whether they have a queen or not ; 

 but there is one much larger than the rest, without wings, and without hair, 

 and all over black, like polished ebony. This goes and views all the works, 

 from time to time, and enters into the cell, as if it wanted to see whether 

 every thing was done right ; in the morning, the young humble bees are 

 very idle, and seem not at all inclined to labor, till one of the largest, about 

 seven o'clock, thrusts half its body from a hole designed for that purpose, 

 and seated on the top of the nest, beats its wings for twenty minutes suc- 

 cessively, buzzing the whole time, till the whole colony is put in motion. 

 The humble bees gather honey, as well as the common bees ; but it is 

 neither so fine, nor so good, nor the wax so clean, or so capable of fusion. 



Beside the bees already mentioned, there are various kinds among us, that 

 have much the appearance of honey makers, and yet make only wax. The 

 wood bee, or carpenter bee,~ is seen in every garden. It is rather larger 

 than the common queen bee ; its body of a bluish black, which is smooth 

 and shining. It begins to appear at the approach of spring, and is seen fly- 

 ing near walls exposed to a sunny aspect. This bee makes its nest in some 

 piece of wood, which it contrives to scoop and hollow for its purpose. This, 

 however, is never done in trees that are standing, for the wood it makes 

 choice of is half rotten. The holes are not made directly forward, but turn- 

 ing to one side, and have an opening sufficient to admit one's middle finger; 

 whence runs the inner apartment generally twelve or fifteen inches long. 

 The instruments used in boring these cavities are their teeth; the cavity is 

 usually branched into three or four apartments ; and in each of these they 

 lay their eggs, to the number of ten or twelve, each separate and distinct 

 from the rest. The egg is involved in a sort of paste, which serves at once 

 for the young animal's protection and nourishment. The grown bees, how- 

 ever, feed upon small insects, particularly a louse, of a reddish brown color, 

 of the size of a small pin's head. 



Mason bees^ make their cells with a sort of mortar made of earth, which 

 they build against a wall that is exposed to the sun. The mortar, which at 

 first is soft, soon becomes as hard as stone, and in this their eggs are laid. 

 Each nest contains seven or eight cells, an egg in every cell, placed regular- 



^Bonibus. '^Xylocopa. ^ Odynerus. 



