THE HOME OF THE BEES. 599 
retreat. On a rainy day, May 24th, our friend visited 
the colony, but found no bees flying about the holes. 
The little hillocks had been beaten down by the pitiless 
rain-drops, and all traces of their industry effaced. On 
digging down, several bees were found, indicating that on 
rainy days they seek the shelter of their holes, and do not 
take refuge under leaves of the plants they frequent. 
On the 29th of June six full-grown larve were exhumed, 
and one about half grown. On the 20th of July the colony 
seemed well organized, as, on laying open a burrow at 
the depth of six inches, he began to find cells. The upper 
ones, to the number of a dozen, were deserted and filled 
with earth and grass roots, and had evidently been built 
and used during the previous year. Below these were 
eight cells placed around the main vertical gallery, reach- 
ing down to the depth of thirteen inches, and all contain- 
` ing nearly full-grown larve of the bees, or else those of 
some parasitic bee (Nomada) which had devoured the 
food prepared for the young Andrena. 
About the first of August the larva transforms to a 
pupa or chrysalis; as at this time two pupe were found 
in cells a foot beneath the surface. As shown in the 
cut, those cells situated lowest down seem to be the last — 
to have been made, while the eggs laid in the highest 
are the first to hatch, and the larve disclosed from them 
the first to change to pupe. Four days later the pups 
of Nomada, or Cuckoo-bees, were found in the cells. 
No Andrenas were seen flying about at this time. 
On the 24th of August, to be still very circumstantial 
in our narrative, though at the risk of being tedious, 
three burrows were unearthed, and in them three fully 
formed bees were found, nearly ready to leave their 
cells, and in addition several pups. In some other cells 
