196 Poppy Bee. INSECTS. Leaf-cutter Bee. 
in Kent, I found snail shells so tenanted in 1843, and 
separated from the wrinkled petal of a half-expanded 
snail shells also tenanted by a beautiful spider of the 
dower, she knows how to straighten their folds, and, if 
genus Attus, or Salticus, as it was named by Latreille. 
too large, to fit them for her purpose by cutting off the 
A wood-boring bee constructs her tunnel, not by exca- 
superduous parts. Beginning at the bottom, she over- 
vating downwards, as she would be incommoded with 
lays the walls of her mansion with this brilliant tapestry. 
the dust and rubbish which she removes ; no, she works 
extending it also on the surface of the ground, round 
upwards, and so avoids such an inconvenience. When 
the margin of the orifice. The bottom is rendered 
she has advanced to the length required, she proceeds 
warm by three or four coats, and the sides have never 
in a horizontal direction to the outside of the post, and 
less than two. The little upholsterer, having completed 
now her operations are continued downwards. She 
the hangings of her apartment, next fills it with pollen 
constructs a cell near the bottom of the tube, a second 
and honey to the height of about half an inch ; then. 
and a third, and so on to the required number. The 
after committing an egg to it, she wraps over the poppy 
larvae, when full fed, have their heads turned upwards. 
lining, so that even the roof may be of this material. 
The bees which arrive at their perfect condition, or 
and lastly closes its mouth with a small hillock of earth. 
rather those which are first anxious to escape into day. 
The great depth of the cell, compared with the space 
are two or three in the upper cells. These are males. 
which the single egg and the accompanying food depo- 
The females are usually ten or twelve days later. 
sited in it occupy, deserves particular notice. This is 
OSMIA PARIETINA is a species of Osmia only found 
not more than half an inch at the bottom, the remaining 
in the northern parts of this country. It selects the 
two inches and a half being subsequently filled with 
under side of a slate or stone on the ground, with a 
earth. When you next favour me,” he adds, “ with a 
hollow space beneath it. The bee attaches the little 
visit, I can show you the cells of this interesting insect, 
balls of pollen to the stone. Mr. Robertson sent a 
as yet unknown to British entomologists, for which I 
stone of this kind from Glenalmond in Perthshire, 
am indebted to the kindness of M. Latreille, who first 
which contained beneath it a mass of cocoons. This 
scientifically described the species.” 
stone was ten inches by six, and there were two hundred 
Genus Megachile {Leaf-cutter Bee). — In this genus 
and thirty cocoons attached to it. In November, when 
the head is generally large, and the mandibles very stout. 
found, about one-third of them were empty. In March 
These bees are commonly called Leaf-cutters, from 
a few males made their appearance, and shortly after a 
their habit of cutting off pieces of the leaves of various 
few females ; others came out at the end of June. At 
trees, with which they form cells in which they store 
this time there were thirty-five undeveloped cocoons 
up food for their larvae ; they prefer the leaves of the 
containing larva. The following April they were still 
rose and laburnum. Some of the species, such as 
in the larva state. By the end of May they had changed 
Megachile Willughblella and M. ligniscca, select de- 
to pupae, and about the end of June began to come 
caying trees, posts, and rails, in which they form their 
forth perfect insects ; so that a portion of eggs depo- 
tunnels. Megachile maritima burrows in the ground. 
sited in 1849 had been three years in arriving atmatu- 
Some species, such as Af. circumcincta, form large 
rity. May this not be a provision for the preservation 
colonies. The various species of Ccelioxys are para- 
of a species living in a most uncertain climate ? A 
sites on Megachile. The Megachile argentata is a very 
species of Chryds, or Golden wasp, is parasitic in the 
active little insect ; it makes a piping sound, which is 
nests of this bee. 
extremely shrill and acute. It frequents the flowers of 
POPPY BEE. — -The Rev. William Kirby (for doubt- 
the Echium vulgare, or Viper’s bugloss, which when 
less the rector of Barham wrote that chapter in Kirby 
seen is such a handsome ornament, growing among the 
& Spence’s “Introduction”) has thus alluded to the 
trap debris of Salisbury Crags, near Edinburgh. In 
habits of another bee, now placed in a genus by itself. 
one of the divisions of this genus the fore tarsi of the 
named A ?;t/iocq 2 ?a, or the “dower-cutter.” It has not 
males is dilated. To this section belongs the bee men- 
yet been discovered in this country. 
tioued by John Ray in his Letters as “the Willow 
Kirby classes these bees among “ the hangers of 
Bee,” and named by Kirby Willughhielld, after Ray’s 
tapestry, or upholsterers — those which line the holes 
friend, the naturalist Williighb}'. This name is a very 
excavated in the earth for the reception of their young 
appropriate one for this bee, as it burrows in the old 
with an elegant coating of dowers or of leaves. Amongst 
stumps of willow trees. 
the most interesting of these is Megachile papaveris^ 
THE lEAF-CUTTER BEE {Megachile centuncularis) 
a species whose manners have been admirably described 
is a well known British species, which is peculiarly fond 
by Reaumur. This little bee, as though fascinated 
of the leaves of rose bushes. These may often be 
with the colour most attractive to our eyes, invariably 
seen with circular pieces cut out of them, and one who 
chooses for the hangings of her apartments the most 
has watched the insect at work, thus describes its mode 
brilliant scarlet, selecting for its material the petals of 
of operation. The bee places itself on the edge of the 
the wild poppy, which she dexterously cuts into the 
leaf, so that it passes between its legs, and with its 
proper form. Her first process is to excavate in some 
great and sharp mandibles it cuts out a piece quickly. 
pathway a burrow, cylindrical at the entrance, but 
poising itself on its wings when it has nearly finished 
swelled out below to the depth of about three inches. 
its work, so that it may not tear the piece, and to keep 
Having polished the walls of this little apartment, she 
it and the cutter from falling to the ground. When it 
next dies to a neighbouring field, cuts out oval por- 
has quite detached the piece, it holds it firmly between 
tions of the dowers of poppies, seizes them between her 
its legs, and carries it to its nest, where it uses it with 
legs, and returns with them to her cell ; and though 
similarly formed pieces to build its cell. It takes many 
