1928] 
The Bee that Works in Stone 
71 
side of their fore legs, much as would happen should we draw a 
needle through a cup of salt. So they merely insert their heads 
into the entrance, and made their way down thru the sand, 
which closes behind them. I have seen as many as four bees 
enter a nest thus in close succession, the one behind following 
quite close upon the disappearing abdomen of its leader. Once 
through the sandy entranceway, the bee attains the open tunnel, 
and thence proceeds without trouble. The pollen adheres to 
the bee’s hind legs so tenaciously that but little is lost in the 
sand. 
Since the nest has so many entrances, one would be right in 
assuming that there is more than one owner. Into one nest with 
three entrances, six bees were seen to enter. In another case I 
attempted to find the number of inhabitants. Armed with a 
stem of grass, I disturbed every bee that attempted to get out, 
thus causing its withdrawal into the tunnel. And, contrariwise, 
I permitted all bees, coming in from the fields, to enter without 
molestation. When I had waited thus for some fifteen minutes, 
and no more bees arrived, I stood back and counted the ones 
coming out. By this method I found thirteen bees, 11 females 
and 2 males. 
When I was sure that all the bees had come out of the nest, 
I dropped some finq sand into the entrances. This filled them 
up, completely concealing them. Here, I took the following 
time notes, describing the return of the thirteen owners : 
June 26. White Rocks. 
10:47'. Seven bees arrive together from the fields. Unable 
to find the entrances, they francitally claw the sandstone, here 
and there, at about a centimeter from the closed openings. 
10:50'. One bee finds entrance. It immediately makes way 
straight down thru sand. Two others see it enter, and rush to 
the spot, arriving a second after its abdomen has disappeared. 
These enter the sand in like manner. 
10:50': 45 ;/ . The last two bees come out head first, having 
failed to find the entrance. Pollen still on legs. They fly around 
a short distance from nest, alighting, at intervals, to dig wildly 
around entrance. 
