600 THE HOME OF THE BEES. 
there were three of the parasitic Nomada also nearly 
ready to come out, which seemed to be identical with 
some bees noticed playing very innocently about the 
holes early in the summer. 
On the last day of August, very few of the holes were 
open. A number of Oil-beetles (Meloé) were strolling 
suspiciously about in the neighborhood, and some little 
ack Ichneumon flies were seen running about among the 
holes. 
During midsummer the holes were found closed night 
and day by clods of earth. 
The burrow is sunken perpendicularly, with short pas- 
sages leading to the cells, which are slightly inclined 
downwards and outwards from the main gallery. The 
walls of the gallery are rough, but the cells are lined 
with a mucous-like secretion, which, on hardening, looks 
like the glazing of earthen-ware. This glazing is quite 
hard, and breaks up into angular pieces. It is evidently 
the work of the bee herself, and is not secreted and laid 
on by the larva. The diameter of the interior of the cell 
is about one-quarter of an inch, contracting a little at the 
mouth. When the cell is taken out, the dirt adheres for 
a line in thickness, so that it is of the size and form of an 
` acorn. 
The larva of Andrena (Fig. 2) is soft and fleshy, like 
that of the Honey-bee. Its body is flattened, bulging out 
prominently at the sides, and tapering more rapidly than 
usual towards each end of the body. Seen sideways, the 
thoracic rings are quite prominent, giving a serrated out- 
line to the body. The skin is very thin, so that along the 
back the heart or dorsal vessel may be distinctly seen, 
pulsating about sixty times a minute. 
Our cut (Fig.1) also represents the pupa, or chrys- 
