82 SOCIAL HABITATIONS. 
insects line it with a very coarse, dark-coloured wax, 
similar to that of which the breeding cells are made. 
The entrance to the nest is always at the bottom; for 
although the insects will sometimes make an opening at 
the top, they seem to do so merely for the purpose of 
admitting air and warmth, and never enter or leave the 
nest through it, closing it at night or in rainy weather. 
Generally, a kind of tunnel or arched entrance leads into 
the nest, like the passage into an Esquimaux snow-house, 
an edifice to which the moss-covered dome of the Carder 
Bee bears no small resemblance. 
The best time to search for these Bees is in the hay- 
making season, when the scythe-men often come upon them 
during their work; and a promise of some small reward 
for this or any other structure will probably produce a 
tolerable harvest of nests, as well as of hay. 
