FIELD WORK ON HYMENOPTERA. 



143 



^ 



D' 



licac- 



the outer earth dried up, while that between the two 

 plates of glass, being protected from evaporation, retained 

 its moisture. Under these circumstances the ants found 

 it more suitable to their requirements, and gradually 

 deserted the drier mould 



A 



outside, which I removed 

 by degrees. 



"Even between the 

 two plates of glass the 

 earth gradually dried up, 

 and I had to supply arti- 

 ficial rain from time to 

 time." 



A bumblebee's nest 

 ought by all means to be 

 discovered if it is a possi- 

 ble thing to do so. If a 

 bee of this sort is found on 

 a flower, occasionally one 

 is fortunate enough to be 

 able to trace it to its home 

 nest. Especially is this true if you sight the bumblebee 

 late in the afternoon, when she is making her last trip 

 for the day. While you have the bumblebee under obser- 

 vation, discover whether the two sorts of bees, honey and 

 bumble, like the same flowers. Do they seem to be 

 equally burdened with the responsibilities of life? 



Do you regard the life where the bumblebee mother 

 works for the good of her own family and that alone, as 

 beneficial with respect to life as a whole with its varied 

 relationships of many kinds of animals of various degrees 

 of efficiency, as is the life of the community bees, where 

 each individual contributes cheerfully and efficiently 



3 



Fig. 58. — Ants' artificial nest. 

 {After Lubbock.) 



