THE HOME OF THE BEES. BIZ 
The bee cut its way out of the cells in March, and lived 
for a month afterwards on a diet of honey and water. It 
eagerly lapped up the drops of water supplied by its 
keeper, to whom it soon grew accustomed, and seemed to 
recognize. 
Our smallest and most abundant species is the little 
green Osmia simillima of Smith. It builds its little 
oval, somewhat urn-shaped cells against the roof of the 
large deserted galls of the oak-gall fiy (Diplolepis conflu- 
entus), placing them, in this instance eleven in number, 
in two irregular rows, from which the mature bees issue 
through a hole in the gall (Plate 10, Fig.14. From speci- 
mens communicated by Mr. F. G. Sanborn). The earthen 
cells, containing the tough dense cocoons, were arranged 
irregularly so as to fit the concave vault of the larger 
gall, which was about two inches in diameter. On 
emerging from the cell the Osmia cuts out with its pow- 
erful jaws an ovate lid, nearly as large as one side of the 
cell. 
In the Harris collection are the cells and specimens of 
Osmia pacifica Say, the peaceful Osmia, which, according 
to the manuscript notes of Dr. Harris, is found in the 
perfect state in earthen cells beneath stones. The cell is 
oval cylindrical, a little contracted as usual with those of 
all the species of the genus, thus forming an urn-shaped 
cell. It is half an inch long, and nearly three-tenths of 
an inch wide, while the cocoon, which is rather thin, is 
three-tenths of an inch long. We are not acquainted 
with the habits of the larva and pupa in this country, but 
Mr. F. Smith states that the larva of the English species 
hatches in eight days after the eggs are laid, feeds ten to 
twelve days, when it becomes full-grown, then spins a 
thin silken covering, and remains in an inactive state 
AMERICAN NAT., VOL. IL. 48 
