HABITS OF THE HUMBLE BEE. 99 



fatal to the other bees. In the summer of 1863 while at 

 Bridport, Vt., on the borders of Lake Champlain, I was 

 so successful, in my entomological excursions, as to find 

 as many as twenty-five or thirty colonies of bees, and to 

 collect fifteen complete nests. These were of the follow- 

 ing species : Bombus fervidus Fabr., B. ternarius Say, B. 

 separalus Cresson and B. virginicus Fabr. As the general 

 economy of these four species is the same, my observations 

 may be considered as made upon one community, pre- 

 ceded however by the following special statements in re- 

 gard to the several species. 



Bombus ternarius. Two nests collected: one under an 

 old stump in a deserted mouse nest ; the other, in Septem- 

 ber, under the clapboards of a house, about eight feet from 

 the ground. Upon removing the boards, a large bunch of 

 sheep's wool was found, evidently collected by rats, as 

 there was a quantity of nut shells, with the under jaw 

 and other bones of a rat among the wool. In the 

 centre of the wool the bees had their cells. By etherizing 

 the bees twenty-eight specimens were collected, which, as 

 it was after dark, when the bees are generally at home, I 

 have reason to believe were nearly all that belonged to 

 the nest. There were thirty -five cells containing young, 

 and thirty that were filled with honey, having their tops 

 covered with wax. This is the only instance of my find- 

 ing the honey cells closed over. There were also a number 

 of bunches of pollen in which there were no eggs. 



This species is not so common as B. fervidus and is far 

 more savage in its disposition. I was informed by Mr. 

 Brigham Rockwood, that he had noticed that this species 

 never takes possession of the nests of mice (Arvicola) 

 which are found so plentifully among the grass, but 

 always chooses a place under cover of boards or stumps. 



Bombus fervidus. This is the most common species at 

 Bridport, and is of quite a gentle disposition, allowing its 

 nest to be disturbed for some time before it makes any 

 show of resistance, merely exhibiting its uneasiness by 

 buzzing. The communities of this species are found in 

 old mice nests, both under stumps and boards ; and also 

 among the grass in the nests of the common field mice 

 (Arvicola riparia). They also occupy the forsaken nests 



