80 



THE YOUNG NATUKALIST. 



genus of the family. The bees belonging to the genus Andrena all make 

 burrows in the earth from six to ten inches in depth, at the bottom of which 

 they construct a small cell of an oval shape. In this chamber the female bee 

 lays up a pellet of pollen, mixed with honey, about the size of a garden pea. 

 This store is of course intended for her own offspring, but more often than 

 not, it is appropriated by some prowling female wasp-bee, who enters the 

 burrow in its owner's absence and deposits her own eggs in the little ball of 

 honey and pollen. Strange to say the bee takes this impudent proceeding 

 with perfect good temper, and deserting the burrow which she has made, and 

 the store of pollen and honey which she has gathered together with so much 

 labour, philosophically goes off and constructs a fresh one. 



The burrow is generally straight, but Andrena rubricata and A. fulvescens 

 construct branch tunnels, each with a cell or chamber at the end. When 

 the bees have deposited their eggs in the store of food provided for the young 

 grubs, they close up the mouth of the burrows. 



April will, of course, give the entomologist plenty of occupation at the 

 sallow bloom. We gave last month a list of species to be met with both 

 there and at sugar, and it will to a great extent be useful this. As we get 

 on towards May a fresh kind make their appearance. The very scarce 

 Scotch species Fidonia carhonaria and EupUhecia helvetecaria are among 

 these, together with E. salyrata, whose habitat is also Scotland and the 

 north of England ; the very rare whitish irriguata and greyish denotata, 

 the more generally distributed abbreviata and pumilata ; and also Lobophora 

 lobulata, Anticlea derivata, Scotosia dubitata, Ceropacha ridens, and at the end 

 of the month Cucullia verbasci. We may also meet with the Tortrices : 

 Phceodes tetraquetana and immundana. 



The following is a list of the larvae to be looked for in April. In order 

 not to occupy too much space next month with repetition, I have marked 

 with an asterisk (*) such species as also feed in May : — 



Salyrus megcera. Green, with pale lines. On grass. 

 Lyccena Alexis. Green, with white spots above the legs. On clover and 

 bird's-foot trefoil. 



Syricthus malvce. Green, with white lines and brownish head. On wild 

 raspberry (Rubus Idceus.) 



* Sesia bembeciformis. Whitish. In wood of sallow. 



Sesia apiformis. Whitish yellow, with dark brown head. In wood of 

 poplar trees. 



Sesia tipuliformis. Whitish, with a pale brown head. In stems of cur- 

 rant bushes. 



