460 CARDING BEE. 



her belly, and as far as possible beyond, to the 

 second. The second, in like manner, pushes it on 

 to the third, and so on. Thus small heaps of pre- 

 pared moss are conveyed to the nest by a file of 

 four or five insects, where they are wrought and 

 interwoven with the greatest dexterity by those 

 that remain within. 



The nests are often six or seven inches in diame- 

 ter, and elevated to the height of four or five inches 

 above the surface of the ground. When the cover- 

 ing of moss is taken up, an irregular comb presents 

 itself, composed of an assemblage of oval bodies 

 disposed one against -another. Sometimes there are 

 two or three combs, placed on one another, but not 

 united. These combs vary in size : they consist of 

 a number of oblong or oval cells or coccoons, of a 

 silky substance, fastened together, and spun by the 

 ]arv«e when they are about to undergo their first 

 change ; for the Carding Bees do not form waxen 

 cells for their young. The cells are of three di- 

 mensions, answering to the three sexes. The void 

 spaces between the cells are filled with masses of 

 brown paste, made of gross wax, or pollen much 

 wrought, and honey. Besides the masses they at- 

 tach to every comb, particularly the uppermost, 

 three, or four cells of the same coarse wax, in the 

 shape of goblets, open at the top, which they fill 

 with liquid and very sweet honey. — The first step 

 towards furnishing a nest is to make a mass of the 

 brown paste, and one of these honey-pots. The 

 masses of paste are intended for the food of the 

 larva:, and in them the eggs are deposited. These 



