CO-MltON HUMBLE-BEE. 
245 
and now dispersing, each seeks a residence for her- 
self, where she may become the foundress of a new 
community. Having pitched upon a convenient spot, 
the laborious insect proceeds to excavate first the 
passage or gallery, then the nest itself, detaching the 
soil, as it were, grain by grain ; she seizes the mole- 
cule with the first pair of legs, transfers it instantly 
to the second, receives it next with the third, and 
finally pushes it as far as possible behind her. These 
excavations, situated often above a foot under the 
surface, are wholly the work of the solitary female. 
Sometimes, however, the nest is made close to, or 
even upon the surface when partially hollow, and 
covered with dry moss ; but this is not the usual mode 
pursued by this species, and in such localities the 
colony is far less numerous than when at a greater 
depth. 
Having finished the excavation, and carpeted her 
new dwelling with soft leaves, &c. the insect pro- 
ceeds to construct brood cells. The wax of which 
these are formed is secreted, as in the domestic bee, 
in certain receptacles placed on each side of the 
middle process of the abdominal scales, and is ex- 
tracted by the bee in the form of laminre, moulded 
to the shape of the insect’s body. Unlike the Queen 
of the hive bees, the mother-bee of this family pos- 
sesses these wax-secreting organs as well as the 
workers, and produces the substance in greater quan- 
tity than her progeny. 
The interior of the humble-bee nest (PI. XV.) 
presents a striking contrast to that of the honey-bee 
