1899] ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Ill 



Davis, who treats of it as an enemy of oeiery, in which plant it is said to both bare into 

 the stems, channelling at the base of the leaf stalks and leaving nothing but a shell on the 

 outer side, and also feeds on the leaves, the larvse being found either rolled up or sewed in 

 between them. Mr. Davis states that Prof. Fernald had written to him that " to his 

 knowledge the species had never been bred in this country before. In an English peri- 

 odical, Entomologists Monthly Magazine, vol. 14, pages 200-4, all the early stages are 

 fully described. The species was bred on the leaves of Boneset (Eupatorium), and was 

 also taken on Hedge Nettle (Stachys) and strawberry leaves. It is thought to be two or 

 more brooded." 



SOME OBSERVATIONS ON A BUMBLE-BEES' NEST. 



By Rev. C. J. S. Bethune, London, Ont. 



In the Head Master's garden at Trinity College School, Port Hope, I had planted a 

 clematis in the angle formed by some stone step3 and the brick wall of the chapel organ- 

 chamber. In the spring of 1897 I put some cut grass from the lawn at the base of the 

 plant to serve as a mulch and keep the ground moist about the roots. A gravelled walk 

 ran parallel to the building at a distance of about a yard, with a branch at right angles to 

 the stone steps ; between the clematis and the walk there was a densely growing young 

 lilac tree. The creeper grew with great rapidity and I found it necessary to support it 

 with wire netting. One day when putting this up, I noticed that whenever I touched 

 the cut grass there came from it an ominous bizz-z-z. I thought it was only a Queen Bee 

 looking for a deserted mouse's nest, but subsequently discovered that the " bizz " was 

 always there when I poked the grass. Later on the worker bees were to be seen coming 

 and going, and there was always a sturdy sentinel at the entrance to the nest. My man- 

 servant, who did not by any means share in my interest in all things entomological, 

 wanted very much to destroy the nest as he was afraid of being stung by my friends the 

 bumble-bees, but I would not allow him to do so. He then tried to drown them out 

 when watering the lawn with the hose, so I protected them with a slanting piece of slate, 

 which left a space between the top of the nest and its new roof. 



One day in the middle of summer I dropped some bits of cut grass beside the slate, 

 and found that the bees soon carried them off inside ; I then gave them more and watched 

 to see what they would do with it. Two of them apparently attended to this work, and 

 they were most industrious, never seeming to stop throughout a long summer's day. The 

 outside bee would run about, seize a bit of grass and pass it swiftly between his legs, 

 under the length of his body, backwards, — and then another, and so on, till he got it all 

 near the opening at the end of the slate — the end opposite to that at which the family 

 went in and out. He then began again at the little pile that he had collected, and passed 

 the bits of grass in to his companion under the slate — always sending them between his 

 legs backwards. It was most interesting to watch the operation, and I paid frequent 

 visits to the nest during the day to see how it was going on. After a time that opening 

 was pretty well filled up with grass and the workmen took a rest. 



Though bumble-bees were visiting the flowers close by until late in October, I very 

 rarely saw one go in or our of my nest after the middle of September, and felt strongly 

 inclined to think that my man must have drowned out a good many of the colony. He 

 never neglected to water that clematis ! I was quite grieved when one day I found my 

 friend the door-keeper dead just outside the entrance, where he had so faithfully done 

 his duty during many long summer's days. This was after some chilly nights, when 

 there had been a slight touch of frost. 



Towards the end of November, long after any bumble-bees were to be seen in the 

 garden, I dug up the nest in order to send it to Dr. Fletcher, who wished to see whether 

 there were any parasites affecting the bees. I found that the bees had done a good deal 

 of excavation and gradually hollowed out the place for the nest till they had sunk it so 

 that the top wa3 level with the soil — it was started originally on the surface. They 

 must have dug a hole at least three inches deep the whole size of the nest. The earth 



