66 NATURAL HISTORY 



mouldy. A hole was to be observed either at the top or at one side, 

 leading into the centre of the hay ; the hay itself surrounding this hole 

 was more regular, and as if turned round the hole ; and this kind of 

 regularity was carried down some way where the cell was formed, for 

 honey-storing and breeding were begun. As this hay had been put in 

 irregularly, the bee must have produced this regularity ; and, I imagine, 

 by twisting herself round and round, so as to give the hay for a little 

 space round her this circular form. By this contrivance I coidd at any 

 time examine their progress : but they do not always confine themselves 

 to places where the materials are collected for them ; for I am of opi- 

 nion that they may have the power and disposition to collect materials 

 for themselves. 



However, I am apt to think that they are directed to situations by 

 some favourable circumstance ; for in one that had built its nest in a 

 laurel-bush, it had been led to this situation by the nest of a bird that 

 had bred there the preceding summer ; but the bird's nest was filled 

 with moss, which was carried higher than the brim of the nest, and in 

 the centre of this she (the bee) had deposited the materials and laid 

 her eggs : but the question is, what brought the moss there ? I can con- 

 ceive it possible for this collection of moss to have been the labour of a 

 mouse ; and I am inclined to think that they (the bees) may not have 

 the mode of bringing soft materials for the hive ; for in some which I 

 found under ground, where the straw had been either very scanty, or none 

 at all, they had covered their work over with a sheet of substance like 

 farina. However they may wish to cover their combs, &c, when exposed, 

 with such soft materials as they can get, yet I do not imagine they 

 bring it from any distance ; for I believe they have not the power of 

 carrying it : I rather conceive that they scrape, as it were, what is near 

 them along to the hive ; for I have put their comb on the ground with 

 very short grass, and they have with their fore-legs scraped the grass 

 under them, and in this manner they have gone backwards with it 

 towards their hive and covered the hive at last. 



In the hives under ground I have observed that they form a covering 

 for the whole. This covering is a very clumsy one, yet formed in some 

 degree similarly to the external covering of the nest of the wasp or 

 hornet ; the external surface having a kind of oblique hollows passing 

 upwards, but which do not pass through. However, this covering has 

 several passages through it, through which the bees pass : it is com- 

 posed, I imagine, of the farina, at least it has the same visible pro- 

 perties. I should suppose the intention of this is to keep out the wet 

 that soaks through the ground ; for in such situations they have but 

 little hay or moss. In some nests which I have moved from under 



