WILD AND HIVE BEES. 



colouring, and habits, possess strong resemblances 

 in structure, suiting them all for honey and pollen 

 gatherers. 



These pre-eminently useful little labourers forming 

 the families of the Apidas and Andrenidae, as we 

 have already said, and of the merits of whose work 

 we cannot speak until we come to discuss their 

 relations to flowering plants, are far too much 

 strangers to bee-keepers. The big Humble is every- 

 where recognised, and frequently its nest is not 

 unknown ; but the smaller solitary bees are not 

 certainly acquaintances of the ordinary bee-keeper, 

 notwithstanding his deep interest in their near 

 relative. It will be well here, therefore, to introduce 

 one or two for future identification, and these will 

 also serve for the purposes of illustration and com- 

 parison. 



Standing by a rose bush, we note the descent of 

 an insect, somewhat less than a honey bee, black- 

 backed, with reddish hairs on the thorax, and light 

 down upon its head and three first abdominal 

 segments. It poises itself a moment above a selected 

 leaf, and, settling, immediately commences cutting 

 with its mandibles, which act like a pair of scissors. 

 Quickly, a most regularly formed piece is detached, 

 which does not fall, heavy though it appears in 

 comparison with the size of the insect, for legs and 

 jaws continue to hold it, and away she flies towards 



her nest. 



I examined one of the latter recently, which had 

 been dug in the side of a quiet lane. The Megachile 

 centuncularis, for such is the name of this little 



