210 



BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



they acquire the gay livery in which we are in the habit of seein? 

 them when on the wing. ^ 



The females and males do not appear before the season is con- 

 siderably advanced, differing in the precise time in the various 

 species : the males of B. pratonm appear first— these begin to 

 come forth about the third week in May, The connexion of 

 the sexes of these bees being very rarely observed, I am inclined 

 to beheve that it usually takes place in the nest ; pairs of several 

 species have however been captured under these circumstances • 

 thus, independent of rearing them from their nests, givino- addi- 

 tional evidence of their being correctly united. " 



The males after once leaving the nest seldom return to it, but 



1 have several times observed them re-entering it, and by this 



means have discovered their colonies : and Mr. Kirby states that 



he once saw the male of B. lapidarius entering the nidus of that 

 species. 



The nests of the Bombi are infested with several insects which 

 devour the wax and honey, and by others which devour the 

 young brood ; most nests swarm with a species of Acarus, ivhich 

 devours the wax and honey; the larva; of Tinea pelUonella also 

 abound in many nests, they were found in great numbers in 

 that ot B. Derhamellus ; in the same nest was also found An- 

 ther ophar/us fflaber and Anohiinn pamceum : some communities 

 sxe much infested with the larva; of Volucella. 



The Bombi have also a parasitic genus of bees which inhabit 

 •their nests, apparently occupying a state of aristocratic inde- 

 pendence m the community ; whether they take any part in the 

 economy of the community has not been ascertained. These bees 

 were first observed by Mr. Kirby ; he noticed that four of the 

 Bombmatnces had no corbicula for conveying pollen to their 

 nests, and proposed a division for these Humble"bees, whose eco- 

 nomy he conjectured must be diff-erent from that of the rest of 

 the tamily. Although the parasitic connexion existing betvveeu 1 



these and the true Bombi has been long conjectured, no author 1 



has hitherto found them in the nests of the working species; 

 although I have taken or examined a very large number of the 

 nests of Bombus, I have only occasionallv met with the parasites 

 m them ; but never in the nests of the brown Humble-bees. 

 ApatiMS Barbutellus was found in the nest of Bombus pratonm 

 aiid Bombus Berhumellus, but many nests do not contain para- j 



sites. Apathus nemorim occurs in the nest of Bombus terrestris, , \ 

 ami it probably also frequents that of B. s«^»/erraHeM5. What I ., 



otiice these bees perform in the economy of the nest has not been 

 (hscoyered; they live on the most friendly terms with the in- 



dustrious part of the community, and it is probable that upon 

 them devolves some important office, the nature of which it 



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