32 THE PR.iCTICAL BEE GUIDE. 



54. Stingless Bees {Milipona) are inhabitants of Central 

 America, and the warm regions of both hemispheres. They 

 arc green in hue, spotted witli red, and are smaller than the 

 common house fly. Their colonies are small, but so numerous 

 that in some districts these bees are said to exist in "countless 

 millions." Their comb is one-sided, horizontal, and very 

 delicate. They store no surplus, since nectar (if what they 

 gather can be called nectar) is procurable all the year round in 

 their country. They are not, strictly speaking, stingless. 

 They do not sting, l^ut they can bite, and this they do 

 furiously when molested. 



" All the essential elements of the sting are present, the pointed or 

 penetrating part being stunted.'' — {SJtai'p). 



55. Sand Bees (Andrena) are found in this country, occasion- 

 ally in large numbers. They differ from the honey bee in 

 many structural points, notably in their much shorter tongue. 

 The females are always fully developed, so that the " worker " 

 caste does not exist among them. They make their nests by 

 burrowing in the ground, usually in sandy places. Although 

 they are " solitary " insects, in the sense of forming no social 

 communities like those of the honey bees, a large number of 

 nests are generally found close together, and many individuals 

 may be seen, in the spring months, flying around their 

 favourite haunts. 



56. Leafcutter Bees (Megachih) are long-tongued, like the 

 honey bee, but they may be distinguished by their broad head, 

 powerful mandibles, and generally stout build. Like the 

 Andrence, they have no " worker" caste. They nest in the ground, 

 sometimes digging burrows, but more frecjuently using ready- 

 made hollows, such as the tunnels of worms. They neatly cut 

 pieces out of the leaves of plants, and use these to build their 

 nests, in which they store food for their grubs. The nest 

 resembles a number of thimbles placed inside one another. 

 These bees also nest in old trees and walls. They are rarely 

 found in the Noi'th. Their nests have been discovered among 

 the ciuilts of bar frame hives ; and Mr. M. H. Read has found 

 them twice in his apiary, and frequently in the keyhole of his 

 garden-door. 



56b. Caucasians are natives of the Caucasus, in Russia. 

 Within the past few years they have been recommended in the 

 United States by the Department of Agriculture, and testimony 

 to Iheir exceeding gentleness and prolificness has been given 

 by many prominent beekeepers. Neither smoke, carbolic, nor 

 protection is necessary when these bees are being manipu- 

 lated ; they show little resentment when roughly treated ; their 

 queens are great layers, and their workers arc exceptionally 

 industrious, 



