598 INSECTA. 



of tliose substances. The larv.x, owin^ to tlie position of their cells, have the head downwanls ; and, wlien ready 

 to become pupic, spin a cocoon for themselves. The males neither work [nor .stinp;.] 



Some species (forming the 'j;rnus Po/isfe.s. Latr.), liave the portion of tlie inner edg:e of the mandibles which is 

 beyond the aiij!:le shorter than tiiat whicli iirecede.^ this ;inL:lf, and tiie middle of the clypcus is pointed. Some of 

 these, as the Brazilian P. lunrin, have the abiloinm loirned as in Eumenes, whilst in others, as in the French 

 P. t/n/iirii, Linn., it is of an iival fnrm. The formrr of these two species makes a large inclosed nest in the form 

 of a tiuiicatcd cniH'. with a hule at the bottoni, [h.Nrd fn the branches of trees] ; the second makes its nest, con- 

 sisting of about twenty or thirty cells, exposed and arranged like a bouquet, the outer cells being smallest. <.»thers 

 have the abdomen ovoid, or conical, as in the South American V. nidulans, which suspends its nests to the boughs 

 of trees by a ring, the nests l)eing of a conical form, with a convex bottom, having an opeinng in it. In proportinn 

 to tlie extent of llie community the nest is enlarged, by a fresh layer of cells being added to the ujjder-side of the 

 old bottom. 



The other AVasps, forming the genus Vcxpa proper, have the upper portion of tlie inner edge of each mandible 

 as long as, or longer than, the posterior, wdiich precedes it, ami tin.' middle nf the front edge of the clypeus is 

 truncate, with a tooth on eacli side. Vcspa cradro, the Hornet; )'. vuhiaria, the coniinou AVasp, and otijer 

 species. 



TIIE FOURTH FAMILY OF THE ACULEATED HY.MENOPTERA,— 



The Mellifera, or Anthophila, Latr. (tlie Does), — 



Exhibits, in the peculiar circumstances of the t\vo hind feet, that of collecting the pollen of flowers, an 



unique character, which distinguishes it from all the other families of insects. The first joint of the 

 tarsi i)i these feet is very large, much compressed, in the form of a square plate, or of a reversed 

 triangle. The parasitic species are, however, destitute of this peculiar property; but the form of their 

 feet is always essentially the same ; they are merely deprived of hairs, or pollen brushes. 



The maxilla: [and lower lips] are generally very long, and form a kind of proboscis; tlie lower lip 

 lias often the bum of a lance-head, or a long filament, the extremity of which is bilken or hrury. Their 

 iarvic feed exclusively on lioney, and tlie fecundating farina of flowers; t!ie perlect insect, in like 

 manner, only subsists on Ikmicv. These Hymenoptera embrace tlie genus Apis, Linn., which [ divide 

 into two sections, [Andrene/iP and Jpiari(p']. 



The first section, Axdrknkt_e, Latr., lias the middle division uf the lower li|) in form of a heart, or 

 lance-head, shorter than its sheath and folded above in some, and nearly straight in others. It is 

 composed of the genus 



Andr-Kna, Fab. {Proaheilk, Reaumur; Meliffa, Kirby]. 

 These insects live solitarily, and only possess two kinds of individuals, males and females. The man- 

 dibles are sim})le, or terminated by not more than two teeth ; the labial ]ialpi resemble the maxillary, 

 wdiicli are always 6-jointed ; the lateral lobes of the laliium are very short. The majority of the 

 feniales collect iqiou the hairs of the liiiul-feet the faijna id" flowers, and form it, \vith ;i little honcv, 

 into a kind of paste, for the fooil of their larva'. Tliay Inrm in the earth, and often in beaten foett- 

 paths, dee[i liurrows, in which they place this paste, ^\ith an egg, and then close the aperture 

 witli earth. 



Some have the middle division of the lower hp hcart-sliaped, and fnlded in reiiose. 



Ilif/^us, VrU. (I'ro.iojj'is, Jiir.), has the liody tilalniuis, the iqiprr wing.s \^ifh only two complete subniarginal 

 cells. They do not gather [loUeii, and ajijjear to deposit their eggs in the nests of other Bees. [Se\ei'al British 

 species.] 



Coltefes, Latr., has the body villose, with three complete cubital cells ; these collect pnllen. Type, J. sncciinta, 

 Latr. [a common British species]. 



The others have the labimii in the form of a lanee-head, and some of them have this part foldc<l upon the 

 upper side of the sheath, as in 



Aiulrena, [having the hind fret not remarkably ynlose, consisting of very numerous British species], and 



I)a.vi//)oc/ff, the last of which has the hind tarsi clothed wdh very long hairs. The upper winu^s in both tliese 

 subgenera have only two submarginal cells. 



In the others, the labium is nearly straiglit, or slightly folded beneath at the tip ; the maxilla: more elbowed, and 

 the cubital cells three in number, as in 



i^j'/iccodcs, having the male antennie nodose, and the middle labial lobe short ; 



lldticdis, ill which the females have a longitudinal slit at the apex of the abdomen ; and 



Noin'ia, Latr., in which the legs of the males are swollen or dilated. 



The second section of the Mellifera?, that of the Apiari.e, comprises those species v\hieh have tlie 

 miiblle division of the lower lip at least as long as the mentiim or tubular sheath, and like a filament. 



