454 INSECTA. 



neatly. The further end is curved in, so as to form the bottom of the 

 cell ; and, when it has formed about three layers of leaves within each 

 other, it looks almost like a small deep thimble. Into this cell it brings 

 some farina, and deposits it at the bottom ; and, when it has collected 

 a sufficient quantity, it lays an egg in it. Then it goes and cuts out 

 round pieces of leaves, of the size of the mouth of this cell, and it 

 covers the mouth, thrusting them a little within the first, which makes 

 them gently concave externally. It puts on, in this manner, two, 

 three, or four pieces. When this is done, it begins another in the same 

 manner, making the lid of the last cell, as it were, the bottom of the 

 canal. It continues forming three, four, five, or more cells in this 

 manner, in the same canal ; making what I call a ' hive.' "Whether 

 these are all that the same bee does in a season, or whether it forms a 

 number of these hives, I cannot say ; it being impossible to know the 

 extent of what an individual bee does in one season. 



The bees that enclose their farina and egg in a cell made by the 

 leaves of plants, do it commonly with the leaves of the strawberry, 

 dog- wood, or rose ; these have soft pliable leaves. I discovered a nest 

 or hive, built in a piece of wood, in July 1792 ; and the young bees did 

 not come forth till June 28th, 1793; indeed, one of the same nest did 

 not come forth till July the 6th in that year. 



This bee sets out immediately to build its nest ; for, while some are 

 hatching, we find others cutting out pieces of leaves. 



[Chelostoma.] 



A small solitary bee, which carries in farina into canals in wood and 

 lays an egg ; then makes a small division, carries in some more and 

 lays another ; and so on three, four, five, or more times ; and then seals 

 up the last with a kind of firm substance ; and, at the very mouth of 

 the hole, puts in some loam (by which they are known), and leaves the 

 eggs to hatch. 



In one that I was led to by the above appearance, which earth 

 appeared to be recent, when I was digging it out, I found the nest 

 very much in the state above described ; and, opening on to the last 

 division, I was led further on into the wood by an artificial termination, 

 not wood ; and, beyond this, I found five others in the chrysalis state. 

 The last of all in this canal was just ready to come forth ; for when 

 the pod was broken, the bee was of its natural colour, alive, and active. 

 The bees in the others, which were the first, second, third, and fourth, 

 were not so complete. Here there was a recent, or second, set of eggs 

 placed nearer the outlet than the former or first set, the first being 

 almost ready to come forth when the eggs of the second set were just laid. 



