IN JAVA. 



73 



A colony of these bees had covered the stems of a species 

 of Asclepias, overgrowing the face of a high cliff; and it 

 took a sharp eye to distinguish their nests from clusters of 

 the withered leaves of the climber. Composed of chips of 

 leaves glued together, they were protected from the rain by 

 a projecting roof, which for the purpose of concealment was 

 cunningly shaped like the foliage of the plant itself. There 



KEST OF THE ZETHrS CYAXOFTEKUS. 



was quite a crowd of them, and as they circled about, their 

 dark wings flashing in the sun as they darted out and into 

 their nests, they reminded me of swallows about a church 

 window. 



Less obtrusive, more destructive, but full of interest, are the 

 operations of the various colonies of termites- or White-ants. 

 It is impossible to observe the habits of those that bore in the 



