HABITS OF THE HUMBLE BEE. 10 J 



ment of the orifice ; but, after spending half an hour in 

 alternate work and rest, it succeeded in freeing itself from 

 its prison. Then it stood, for a short time, on the sides 

 of the cell, moving its wings, after which it commenced 

 walking over the other cells. This was a queen bee. 

 Aug. 8 th, another bee came out in the same Avay. Aug. 

 10th, two. Aug. 14th, one. Aug. 15th, another, which 

 was the last in the cells. They were queens and all quite 

 light colored when just from the cells. 



These facts prove that the young cut their own way 

 out of the cells. In another nest a young bee was seen 

 to come from the cell while the old bees were present, 

 which did not concern themselves about the matter fur- 

 ther than to give a few passing glances and to cut off 

 some jagged pieces of the cell. As soon however as the 

 young bee was out of the cell, one or two old bees trim- 

 med the edges of the cell and removed a few fragments 

 from the inside. 



Bombus sepabatus. Several colonies of this were found 

 under old stumps and in other situations similar to those 

 in which the nests of B. fervidus were found. This spe- 

 cies is nearly as ferocious, on being disturbed, as B. terna- 

 rius. 



Bombus virginicus. A single nest of this species was 

 found under an old stump in an orchard. On the 27th of 

 August three males were captured while flying under a 

 large tree on which they frequently alighted. So much 

 did these bees resemble large flies in their actions, that at 

 first I mistook them for those insects. Male Humble Bees 

 are often seen flying in this manner under trees. Are 

 they not the drones which have left or been driven from 

 the nest? 



Let us now notice the life of a colony in its different 

 stages. In the spring, the queen bee, having left her old 

 home, may be seen roaming about in search of a new one, 

 which she soon finds in some such place as previously 

 described. She immediately collects a small amount of 

 pollen mixed with honey, and in this deposits from seven 

 to fourteen eggs, gradually adding to the pollen mass until 

 the first brood is hatched. She does not wait, however, 

 for one brood to be hatched before laying the eggs of 



