Chapter 19

NATIVE SPECIES.

1.variegatus, Linnæus, ♂ ♀. 3-4 lines. (Plate XI.fig. 2 ♂ ♀.)variegatus, Kirby.

1.variegatus, Linnæus, ♂ ♀. 3-4 lines. (Plate XI.fig. 2 ♂ ♀.)

variegatus, Kirby.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

It is difficult to assign a reason for the name of this genus, or to trace an applicable derivation fromἐπίαλος, for the insect in no way suits, either directly or by anti-phrase, any of the significations of this word. It is one of the prettiest of our little bees, and is parasitical upon theColletes Daviesiana, and it may be found in abundance wherever the metropolis of this species occurs. There is one special locality near Bexley, in Kent, a vertical sandbank within a few hundred yards of the village, where I have always found it in the spring months, and have there taken it as numerously as I wished. I have already alluded, in another part of this work, to the uniformly greater beauty of the parasitical bees, to those which they infest, and their exceedingly different appearance in every case excepting in that of the genusApathus. We might have expected that they would have been disguised like these, the better to carry on their nefarious practices, but what can well be more dissimilar thanEpeolusandColletes, or thanNomadaand all itssupporters, and the same ofMelecta,Cœlioxys, andStelis. These facts puzzle investigation for a reason; nor will the perplexity be speedily solved. All that we can surmise is that there must be a motive for it, for wherever we successfully elicit her secret from the veiled goddess, we invariably find the reason founded in profound wisdom. In some cases the mystery seems devised to test our sagacity, but it cannot be so here, for the most palpable and plausible cause that would suggest itself in the supposition of its being for the guardianship and apprisal of the sitos is often contravened, as in this instance, by it and its parasite living in great harmony together, again by the desertion of its nidus byEucerain favour of the parasite, although itself is a very much more powerful insect; but in the cases ofPanurgus,Halictus, andAndrena, they all live well reconciled to the intrusion of the stranger’s young, and this, without their enumeration, may be adopted as nearly the universal case. The hostility ofAnthophora, previously noticed, is an almost insulated case of the contrary. The form of these insects does not promise much activity, and we accordingly find that they are slow, heavy, and indolent; yet they must be cautiously handled, for they sting acutely; but indeed it is not well ever to handle insects whose markings, as we find them in these, consist of a close nap, as evanescent as the down upon a plum, and of course the fingers carry it readily off, and disfigure the beauty of the little specimen. When their special habitat is not known they may often be found upon the blossoming Ragwort in the vicinity, or upon the Mouse-ear Hawkweed (Hieracium murorum) within whose flowers they are frequently observed enjoying their siesta.

b.With two submarginal cells.Genus 17.Stelis,Panzer.(Plate XI.fig. 3 ♂ ♀.)Apis**c, 1β, Kirby.

b.With two submarginal cells.

Genus 17.Stelis,Panzer.

(Plate XI.fig. 3 ♂ ♀.)

Apis**c, 1β, Kirby.

Gen. Char.:Bodyglabrous, much punctured.Headtransverse, curving posteriorly to the thorax, where it is angulated laterally;ocelliin a triangle at the summit of the vertex;antennæshort, slender, filiform, scarcely geniculated, the scape about as long as the three first joints of the flagellum, all the joints of which are subequal but slightly increasing in length towards the apical one, which is a little compressed laterally;faceentirely flat;clypeustransverse, rather convex;labrumelongate, convex;mandiblesrobust, tridentate, the external tooth considerably the stoutest;cibarial apparatuslong, tongue three times as long as the labium, slightly inflated in the centre, and terminating in a small knob;paraglossævery short, not more than one-sixth the length of the tongue and acuminate;labial palpiabout two-thirds the length of the tongue, the two first joints membranous, the basal one the most robust, and both tapering to an acute apex, shortly before which the two very short subclavate terminal joints articulate;labiumabout one-third the length of the tongue, its inosculation trifid, the central division considerably the longest and truncated at its extremity;maxillæsubhastate, nearly as long as the tongue, acutely acuminated towards their apex;maxillary palpivery short, two-jointed, the basal joint subclavate and slightly the longest, and inserted in a circular cavity, the terminal joint short ovate.Thoraxsubglobose;prothoraxinconspicuous;mesothoraxvery convex;scutellumlunulate, very gibbous, and impendingover the post-scutellum and metathorax, mucronated laterally;metathoraxabruptly truncated;wingswith two submarginal cells, and a third very slightly commenced, the two subequal, the second being the largest and receiving the first submarginal cell near its commencement and the second at the inosculation of the terminal transverso-cubital nervure;legsshort, moderately stout, thetibiævery slightly setose externally;clawsshort, bifid, the internal tooth near the external.Abdomenoblong, truncated at its base, very convex above and flat beneath, deflexed towards its extremity, and the terminal segment almost rounded, being very slightly produced in the centre and margined.

TheMALEscarcely differs, excepting in the usual male characteristics, and by the apical segment being obsoletely tridentate.

NATIVE SPECIES.

1.aterrima, Panzer, ♂ ♀. 4-4½ lines.punctulatissima, Kirby,2.phæoptera, Kirby, ♂ ♀. 4-4½ lines. (Plate XI.fig. 3 ♂ ♀.)3.octomaculata, Smith, ♂ ♀. 3 lines.

1.aterrima, Panzer, ♂ ♀. 4-4½ lines.

punctulatissima, Kirby,

2.phæoptera, Kirby, ♂ ♀. 4-4½ lines. (Plate XI.fig. 3 ♂ ♀.)

3.octomaculata, Smith, ♂ ♀. 3 lines.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

The name of this genus may be derived fromστελὶς,a sort of parasitical plant, perhapsmistletoe, if we could be sure that Panzer imposed it after being aware of the parasitical nature of these bees. It is true his book (the ‘Revision’) was published in 1805, and Kirby, who first intimated a suspicion of such cuckoo-like habits in some of the bees, published his in 1802; therefore it might have been given in allusion to that peculiarity oftheir economy, but it may also be fromστηλὶς,a little column, in application to their cylindrical form. In but few of the parasitical bees do we know the precise nature of their transformations, I have therefore been obliged to be silent upon this point of their natural history, and I have nothing to state of its nature in these, although I expect there is much uniformity with but slight modifications in all. The species of this genus are parasitical upon theOsmiæ; thus theS. phæopterais found to infest theO. fulviventris, and theS. octomaculataintrudes itself into the nests ofO. leucomelana, both of which occur tolerably abundantly near Bristol. I have no doubt that the south-west and west of England, if well searched, would yield many choice insects.

It is singular that bee-parasitism does not prevail throughout all the genera of bees, some being subject to it and others not. Thus the generaColletes,Andrena,Halictus,Panurgus,Eucera,Anthophora,Saropoda,Megachile,Osmia, andBombushave all parasites, whereas the generaCilissa,Macropis,Dasypoda,Ceratina,Anthidium,Chelostoma,Heriades,Anthocopa, andApishave none, as far as we yet know; and some of the genera of parasites frequent two or more genera indifferently, whilst others are restricted to a single one; also some of the species of the parasitical genera infest indifferently several of the species of the genus to which their parasitism is mainly limited; other species have a more circumscribed range and do not visit the nests of more than a single species. What law may control all these seeming anomalies we cannot discover,—it may possibly be scent that guides them, and this may control their parasitism by indicating the species they are taught by their instinct to be most suitable from thequality of the pollen with which it supplies its own nest, to be that which is best adapted for the nurture of their young. It is not likely that we shall very speedily lift the veil from these mysteries, but they are suggestive of observation which in seeking one thing may fall upon another equally interesting.

I have usually caught these insects settled upon the leaves of shrubs, especially of fruit bushes, particularly that of the black currant, upon which, in a favourable locality, many bees, as well as numerous small fossorialHymenopteramay be found in genial weather. I have never caught them upon flowers, nor do I know what flowers they frequent. The end of May, if warm, and throughout June, they are usually found most abundantly.

Genus 18.Cœlioxys,Latreille.(Plate XII.fig. 1 ♂ ♀.)Apis**c1α,Kirby.

Genus 18.Cœlioxys,Latreille.

(Plate XII.fig. 1 ♂ ♀.)

Apis**c1α,Kirby.

Gen. Char.:Bodysubglabrous.Headtransverse, concave posteriorly to fit the anterior portion of the thorax;ocelliin a triangle on the vertex;antennæfiliform, short, subgeniculated, the basal joint of the flagellum globose, the second subclavate, and all from the second subequal, the terminal joint compressed laterally;faceflat, very pubescent;clypeusovate, concavely truncated in front, its surface convex;labrumoblong, with its sides parallel, but with lateral processes at its articulation;mandiblesbroad, quadridentate;cibarial apparatuslong, thetonguevery long, nearly three times the length of the labium, linear but slightly inflated in the centre, and thence tapering to its extremity, andslightly covered with a very short down;paraglossæwholly wanting;labial palpimembranous, the two first joints long, the second slightly the longest, and both tapering to the extremity of the second, which is acute, and has the third joint, which is very short and subclavate, articulated before the extremity, with the terminal one of equal length, and rounded at the apex, appended to it;labiumabout one-third the length of the tongue, its inosculation trifid and equal, and the central division acute;maxillæsubhastate and acuminate, not quite so long as the tongue;maxillary palpivery short, three-jointed, the basal joint the smallest, the second the most robust, and the terminal one ovate.Thoraxsubglobose;prothoraxinconspicuous;mesothoraxconvex;wing-scaleslarge;scutellumproduced horizontally, and impending over the post-scutellum and metathorax, and having at each lateral extremity an acute, slightly-curved tooth projecting backwards;metathoraxabruptly truncated;wingswith two submarginal cells and a third commenced, the first slightly the longest, the second receiving both the recurrent nervures, the first near its commencement, and the second close to its termination;legsslender, spinulose externally on the tibiæ;clawsrather long, slender, and simple.Abdomenvery conical, truncated at the base, its segments slightly constricted, the apical one long, superficially carinated longitudinally in the centre, and much deflexed.

TheMALEscarcely differs, excepting that the whole of the front of the head is more densely pubescent; the mandibles are deeply, acutely, and nearly equally tridentate, the terminal segment of the abdomen is variously mucronated or toothed at its apex, these processes pointing backwards, and the penultimate segment is more or less produced laterally.

NATIVE SPECIES.

1.conica, Linnæus, ♂ ♀. 4-5 lines.quadridentata, Linnæus, ♂.quadridentata, Kirby, ♂.2.simplex, Nyland, ♂ ♀. 5 lines.conica, Kirby.conica, Curtis, viii. 349.Sponsa, Smith, ♂.3.umbrina, Smith, ♂ ♀.4.rufescens, St. Fargeau, ♂. 4-6 lines.5.vectis, Curtis, ♂ ♀. 5-6 lines. (Plate XII.fig. 1 ♂ ♀)6.inermis, Kirby.

1.conica, Linnæus, ♂ ♀. 4-5 lines.

quadridentata, Linnæus, ♂.

quadridentata, Kirby, ♂.

2.simplex, Nyland, ♂ ♀. 5 lines.

conica, Kirby.

conica, Curtis, viii. 349.

Sponsa, Smith, ♂.

3.umbrina, Smith, ♂ ♀.

4.rufescens, St. Fargeau, ♂. 4-6 lines.

5.vectis, Curtis, ♂ ♀. 5-6 lines. (Plate XII.fig. 1 ♂ ♀)

6.inermis, Kirby.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

This genus is named fromκοιλία,belly,ὀξὺς,acute, in application to the conical abdomen of the female. The insects of this genus are parasitical upon the generaMegachileandSaropoda. Thus,C. simplexinfestsM. circumcincta;C. rufescens,M. Willughbiella;C. vectis,M. maritima; andC. umbrinais parasitical onSaropoda bimaculata. Linnæus, from the different appearance of the two sexes made two species of them, and from the circumstance of his having described first the male asApis quadridentata, this, by the law of priority, supersedes the name ofC. conicaas the name of the species, which is its female, and which he next described, and thus that sex, whose form Latreille adopted as typical of the genus, is in the series of species totally superseded and reduced to a synonym. The species of this genus are extremely difficult to separate from each other, no tangible character presenting itself conspicuously, although the Swedishentomologist Nylander supposes he has found one in the plates of the apical segment of the abdomen, especially those of the venter, in which he detects both a difference of form and a difference of relative length to that of the superior plates, and in the males he assumes that the teeth of the apical segment are constant characters. Not having had sufficient opportunity since this supposed discovery was made, for the examination of a great multitude of specimens, for it is only upon such an investigation that it can be firmly based, I cannot speak corroboratively upon the point, but it is very possibly a correct solution of the difficulty.

The peculiarity of these spines at the apical segments of the abdomen of the males is remarkable, they being straight projecting processes, or they have even a slight upward bearing. In the males ofAnthidiumandOsmiawe observe spines also arming the apex of the last segment, but in these we can trace an evident use, both from the downward curvature of the abdomen itself, and that same tendency also in the spines. But in the insects of this genus they have not the same conspicuously apparent object, the abdomen itself even having an upward curvature, or rather a greater facility for turning upwards than downwards. These insects appear to be most abundant in the midland and southern counties, and, according to Curtis, they are numerously found at the back of the Isle of Wight. I have usually taken them on the wing and never on a flower, and I do not know the plants which they may prefer.

Subsection 3.Dasygasters(convey pollen on the belly).All with two submarginal cells to the wings.Genus 19.Megachile,Latreille. (Leaf-cutters.)Apis**c2α, Kirby.(Plate XII.fig. 2 and 3 ♂♀.)

Subsection 3.Dasygasters(convey pollen on the belly).

All with two submarginal cells to the wings.

Genus 19.Megachile,Latreille. (Leaf-cutters.)

Apis**c2α, Kirby.

(Plate XII.fig. 2 and 3 ♂♀.)

Gen. Char.:Headas wide as the thorax, flat and broad on thevertex, where, on the anterior edge, theocelliare disposed in a triangle;antennæshortish, filiform, geniculated;scapeabout as long as two first joints of flagellum, which increases both in length of joints and their substance from base to apex, the terminal one being the longest, and longitudinally compressed;faceand clypeus very pubescent, concealing their divisions;clypeustransversely lunulate, scarcely convex;labrumlongitudinally slightly convex and oblong, with the sides parallel;mandiblesbroad, widening outwardly, irregularly quadridental, the two inner teeth obtuse;cibarial apparatusmoderately long;tonguemore than twice the length of the labium, tapering from the base to the apex, where it terminates in a minute knob;paraglossævery short, scarcely one-sixth the length of the tongue, coadunate at the base and acuminate at the apex, where, in repose, they lap round the base of the tongue;labial palpithree-fourths the length of the tongue, the two basal joints long, subequal, membranous, linear, slightly tapering to the acute apex of the second, where the third subclavate joint articulates just before its termination, and conterminous with which is the fourth, shorter than the third, but also subclavate;labiumnot quite half the length of the tongue, with a long subobtuse process in the centre of its inosculation;maxillæsubhastate, andvery acuminate, nearly as long as the tongue;maxillary palpivery short, two-jointed, the basal joint the shortest, and the terminal one obtuse at its apex, where it is furnished with brief setæ.Thoraxsubglobose, pubescent, the pubescence almost concealing its divisions;prothoraxinconspicuous;mesothoraxconvex, subglabrous on the disk;scutellum, lunulate, convex;metathoraxtruncated; wings with two submarginal cells, the commencement of a third slightly indicated, the two complete ones nearly equal, the second of which receives both the recurrent nervures, one towards each extremity;legsrobust, very setose; the posteriortibiæslightly curved longitudinally, concavo-convex, broad at the extremity; all theplantæas long as their tibiæ and as broad at the base but decreasing at the apex to the width of the following tarsal joints, the anterior pair fimbriated externally, and the posterior pair clothed, on the inner surface, with a dense, short brush, the three following joints short, subequal, the claw-joint as long as the three, and theclawswith a broad basal inner tooth.Abdomenovate, with parallel sides, convex above, truncated and concave at its base to fit the metathorax, distended horizontally in length, or with an upward curve, the four first segments slightly constricted, and their edges usually clothed with decumbent down; the terminal segment obtusely pointed and slightly depressed transversely towards its extremity; theventral segmentscommencing with the second, clothed with parallel layers of moderately long, straight setæ, which in each parallel are of equal length, but those on the fifth segment are the shortest, upon all of which the insect conveys the pollen it collects.

TheFEMALESof the second division of the genus scarcely differ.

TheMALESof the first division differ in having theheadslightly larger and squarer above; theantennævery slightly longer; themandiblesmore acutely tridentate, with a distinct powerful basal tooth beneath, terminating the concavity of the organ; the anteriorfemora,tibiæ, and joints of theirtarsi, excepting the terminal one, concavo-convex, the four first joints of the latter distended laterally, and edged with a dense fringe of setæ, the distension of these joints is widest at their articulation with the tibiæ and they decline in length to the claw-joint which is long; theclawsbifid; the interior claw acute, but remote from the apical one; the posteriorfemoraare very robust, theirtibiæ, much curved, robust, almost triangular, and externally very convex; theirplantæ, almost glabrous, not so long as the three following joints, externally rather twisted, and beneath furnished with a dense brush of long stiff hair.

In the second division of the genus the males are destitute of the distension of the anterior tarsi, these being instead densely fimbriated externally; the legs in them are much less robust, and more closely resemble those of their females.

NATIVE SPECIES.§Anterior tarsi of males much dilated.

NATIVE SPECIES.

§Anterior tarsi of males much dilated.

1.Willughbiella, Kirby, ♂♀. 5-7 lines.2.maritima, Kirby, ♂♀. 6-7 lines. (Plate XII.fig. 2 ♂♀.)3.circumcincta, Kirby, ♂♀. 4½-5½ lines.

1.Willughbiella, Kirby, ♂♀. 5-7 lines.

2.maritima, Kirby, ♂♀. 6-7 lines. (Plate XII.fig. 2 ♂♀.)

3.circumcincta, Kirby, ♂♀. 4½-5½ lines.

§§Anterior tarsi of males not dilated.

1.ligniseca, Kirby, ♂♀. 5-7 lines.2.centuncularis, Linnæus, ♂♀. 4-6 lines.centuncularis, Kirby.3.argentata, Fabricius, ♂♀. 3-4½ lines. (Plate XII.fig. 3 ♂♀.)Leachella, Kirby.Leachella, Curtis.4.odontura, Smith, ♂. 4½ lines.

1.ligniseca, Kirby, ♂♀. 5-7 lines.

2.centuncularis, Linnæus, ♂♀. 4-6 lines.

centuncularis, Kirby.

3.argentata, Fabricius, ♂♀. 3-4½ lines. (Plate XII.fig. 3 ♂♀.)

Leachella, Kirby.

Leachella, Curtis.

4.odontura, Smith, ♂. 4½ lines.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

Named from the great development of the labrum,μέγαlarge,χεῖλοςlip, which is characteristic of all theDasygasters, and also of some of the proximateNudipedes, those parasitical upon them,StelisandCœlioxys, and which, too, resemble the sitos in the expansion and dentated formation of their mandibles, although they do not use them for the same purposes; this again exhibits an analogy of structure, that appears in the parasite to be merely corroborative of identity of existence.

These are more essentially summer insects than the majority of the preceding genera, although some of them present themselves with genial spring weather. The genus may be separated into two distinct divisions by the peculiar dilatation of the tarsi of the males of some of the species, but such division is not indicative of a difference of habits, as is distinctly the case in the genusAnthophora, and in which these combined circumstances Mr. Kirby suggested as acceptable for generic division, or, as he called it, the institution of anotherfamily. But in these we find in both divisions both wood-borers and earth-tunnelers, and some species are indifferently either as suits their accidental convenience. The general appearance of the insects is more that of ordinary bees, and the sexes are more approximate in their habit than is usually the case.

With this genus commences essentially those designated as artisan bees, althoughColletesmight verysuitably come under that denomination. The species themselves of the genus are called leaf-cutters, from the habit they have of cutting pieces from the leaves of various shrubs and trees, for the purpose of lining their nests. The description of the operations of one species will apply precisely to that carried on by all, the occasional difference between them being the selection of the leaves of distinct plants; and it will exhibit the patient industry and perseverance with which these little upholsterers carry on their labours.

ThusM. centuncularis, the type of the genus, burrows in decaying wood or in brick walls, and sometimes also in the ground, and makes use of the cuttings of rose leaves,—not the petals,—and the leaves of the annual and perennial Mercury (Mercurialis annuaandM. perennis). TheM. lignisecabores into sound Oak and the Mountain Ash, as well as into putrescent Elm, and uses Elm leaves to line its nests, sometimes calledcentunculifrom their being as it were patched together. This is the largest of all our species, and is found very abundantly everywhere around London frequenting the flowers of the Thistle. TheM. argentata, Fab., orLeachellaof Kirby, is perhaps the prettiest of all the species, and forms its tunnels in sandbanks. I do not know what leaves this species selects, which used to be extremely rare, indeed for a long time only known by the specimen in the British Museum, until that ardent entomologist the Rev. F. W. Hope, to whom the University of Oxford owes its superb entomological collection, brought it in abundance from Southend, where, during his brief annual stay at his residence there, he used to find it in the grove which runs under the cliff edging the terrace of the village; it is extremely local, as that and Weybridge, in Surrey,are the only two spots where I have known it to be found. It is one of the most vivid fliers among the bees, and darts about, especially during brilliant sunshine in June, with the velocity of a sand-martin, and its note is shrill, but harmonious; it is not often caught upon flowers, being so extremely alert, but has been seen to visit the common Viper’s Bugloss (Echium vulgare). TheM. odontura, the last of the second division, which is known only in a single male specimen in the cabinets of the British Museum, is one of Dr. Leach’s west country captures, of which nothing precise is known, and it is only noticed here on account of the singular peculiarity of the armature of the apex of its abdomen, which brings it closer to the genusOsmiain that particular, although the majority of the males of the genus have the terminal segment slightly furcated.

In these observations I have commenced with the division which contains the type, and to which the present name of the genus would attach from that circumstance, were it ever thought desirable to separate those species, which have dilated anterior tarsi in the males, into a distinct genus, but which I could scarcely recommend. In the arrangement of the species in the preceding list, I have placed these latter first, from their more symmetrical appearance in the cabinet, by leading down to the terminal smaller species in due order, from these larger and more conspicuous ones.

TheM. Willughbiellaandmaritimaprefer decaying wood, and they have been found upon decaying Willows in the Midland Counties in extreme abundance; they might be called gregarious were the material within which they burrow connected in a continuous plane. TheM. Willughbiellamakes use of the leaves of theRose and of the Laburnum, but theM. maritimaseems to prefer the leaves of the Sallow. TheM. circumcinctainvariably burrows in banks, confirming the semi-gregarious habits of the genus, where it forms large colonies, and it is only by accident that it constructs secluded and solitary nests; it also makes use of rose leaves for lining its apartments. The insects are subject to the molestation of bee-parasites of the genusCœlioxys, theC. quadridentatahaving been bred from the cells of this latter species,—that parasite also frequenting theM. Willughbiella, and theC. vectisis well known to infest theM. maritima. Thus, it appears to be only the species of this division with the dilated tarsi that are exposed to such incursions, there being no record of parasites frequenting the division in which the males have simple anterior tarsi. Besides this bee-parasite, they are also subject to the attacks of some dipterous insect, whose larvæ destroy the larvæ of theMegachile. Much difficulty exists in separating the females of some of the species from each other; in others the specific character is sufficiently noticeable. It is a singular concomitant that those males with the dilated anterior tarsi have the apical joint of the flagellum of the antennæ considerably compressed and also dilated laterally.

The proceedings of these bees are very curious. Although the tubes they usually form are long, they are so constructed as not to branch far away from the exterior of the material into which they bore,—sound or putrescent wood or earth, or old mortar joining the bricks of walls,—if in the second material, they usually follow the putrescent vein, and their tunnel in every case is rarely further than an inch or an inch and a half from the external surface. Both the sides of the tube, and the cellsthey form within them, will necessarily vary in diameter and length with the size of the species, but in the larger species they are about an inch and a quarter long and half an inch in diameter. Some entomologists have surmised that different species use the leaves of different plants for lining their cells; this, however, is not strictly the case, as shown in the preceding remarks; but, although not so, the series of nests in the same tube are always lined with cuttings from the same plant; perhaps a varying caprice operates upon each day’s labours and changes the plant, influenced by the drift of the wind or some casual freak.

The cylindrical tube being prepared, which is done very similarly to the way in which it is practised by all the labouring genera, by the gradual removal of the particles of the wood, or sand, or earth of which it consists, the insect’s instinct prompts it to fly forth to obtain the requisite lining, that the lateral earth may not fall in, or the wood taint the store to be accumulated for the young, for it is before this is done that the upholstery is commenced. Having fixed upon the preferred plant, Rose-bush or Laburnum or Sallow, or whatever it may be, it alights upon the leaf, and fixing itself upon the edge, it holds it with three legs on each side, then using its mandibles as the cutter of silhouettes would his scissors, and, just as rapidly as he cuts out a profile, does this ingenious little creature ply the tools it is furnished with by nature. The oval or semicircular cutting being thus speedily dispatched, with the legs still clinging to the surfaces, the insect biting its way backwards, the piece cut off necessarily remains within the clutch of the legs, and, when about falling, the rejoicing labourer expands her wings and flies off with it with a hum of delightful triumph, the cutting being carriedperpendicularly to her body. In a direct line she wings her way to the receptacle, and arrived at the mouth of the aperture within which she has to convey it, she rolls it to its requisite tubular form and thrusts it forward to the bottom of the cavity. The first piece for the lining of each cell is always oval and larger in proportion than the succeeding ones, which, to the number of three or four, are semicircular, the first piece having an extra use to serve in forming a concave bottom to the cavity. Having completed the requisite manipulation, for adjusting it to shape the external lining of the bottom and sides of the first cell, she withdraws backwards, again flies off, and, as if she had traced a trail in the air, or had marked its limpidity with a frothy surge, like that left in the wake of a ship, to note the road for her return, back she wends to the same plant, and proximately to the spot of her recent triumphant exploit renews the operation, but the result of which, this time, is to be semicircular. Home she flies again, and the arrangement within of this piece is different to that of the first, for this is simply tubular, and so placed that it imbricates with its cut margin within the serrated edge of the first and the third, and in case of a fourth the fourth also is similarly placed, so that one laps within the other, the edges of two of these cuttings never being conterminous. The number of the coatings is apparently regulated by the drier or moister condition of the substance in which the tunnel is drilled. Another duty has now to be performed, indeed, that for which all the preceding labours were undertaken,—the provision for its young, wherein it perpetuates its kind,—and thus on and on flows the wonderful stream of life, whose origin who shall estimate through the millennia it has hithertoso placidly and uniformly traversed, and whose termination who shall predict? Having completed the requisite store of honey mixed with pollen, this is carried to the brush with which the under side of the abdomen is furnished, by means of the posterior legs. The honey and pollen are gathered from different kinds of thistles, whence it acquires a reddish hue and looks almost like conserve of roses, and the nest is filled with it to within a line of its top; the egg is then deposited, but the coating of leaves, which enclose the cell completely, secures the store from lateral absorption, although the mixture is rather more fluid, consisting of a relatively greater quantity of honey than is usual, excepting perhaps in the case ofCeratina, and although no viscous secretion is used to bind the leaves together, which retain their position from merely lateral pressure. The cell has now to be closed, and the artificer knowing that the transverse section of the cylinder is circular, again flies forth, and without compass, but with all the accuracy with which Leonardo da Vinci struck a circle with his pencil, to testify his mastery, cuts the leaf again in that form, and as surely: and, three or four, or five or six times, repeats this operation, returning each time with each piece, so many having been variously observed. The separation between the cells being thus consolidated, it is further thickened by the lateral, spare, protruding edge of the leaf first introduced lapping over it. The whole process is again renewed in the same manner as at first, the bottom edge of the cutting of the external leaf is again curved to form a concave bottom to the next cell, and the sides are similarly formed, and each cell fits the preceding like the top of one thimble placed in the mouth of another. The repetition of all this iscontinued until the completion of the five or six cells necessary to fill the tube, when another is formed with the same routine, if her store of eggs is not exhausted; and the orifice of the tube, upon the completion of the last cell, which is closed in the usual way, is filled up with earth. Should any casualty interfere with her labours or temporarily derange their utility, without the obstruction being one that would permanently affect it, the remarkable patience and rapidity with which the repairs are effected, or the obstructions removed, is worthy of all admiration,—theστοργὴ, or love of offspring, being the predominant passion which overthrows and controls every difficulty.

When full fed, the larva spins a thick cocoon of silk, which is attached to the sides of the cell; the outer coating of this cocoon is of a coarser and browner silk than the interior, which is formed of very delicate threads of a slaty-whitish colour and of a close texture, and which is as lustrous as satin. The exact period of their evolution from this state is not recorded, but it is probable that they pass the winter enveloped in their cocoon as pupæ, and in their season come forth the following year.

Genus 20.Anthidium,Fabricius.(Plate XIII.fig. 1 ♂♀.)Apis**c2β, Kirby.

Genus 20.Anthidium,Fabricius.

(Plate XIII.fig. 1 ♂♀.)

Apis**c2β, Kirby.

Gen. Char.:Bodysubglabrous.Headtransverse, as wide as the thorax;ocelliin a triangle on the vertex, which is flat;antennæshortish, slender, filiform, subgeniculated; thescapestouter than the flagellum, subclavate,first joint of flagellum globose, the remainder subequal;faceflat;clypeustriangular, truncated at its base, slightly rounded in front and convex;labrumlongitudinally oblong, the sides parallel and concavo-convex;mandiblesdilated at the apex, where they are quinque-dentate; thealternate teethsmallest;cibarial apparatuslong;tonguevery long, tapering to its extremity;paraglossævery short, one-sixth the length of the tongue, coadunate at the base and subhastate;labial palpimore than half the length of the tongue, the two first joints very long, the second the longest, and both tapering to the acute extremity of this, where, just before its apex, the third very short subclavate joint articulates with the still shorter terminal joint conterminous with it;labiumone-third the length of the tongue, its inosculation with an acute projection in the centre;maxillæas long as the tongue, subhastate and acuminate;maxillary palpispringing from a deep sinus at its base, very short, two-jointed, the basal joint the shortest, and the second obtuse one terminating with a few rigid setæ.Thoraxsubglobose;prothoraxinconspicuous;mesathoraxslightly convex, wing-scales large;scutellumlunulate, projecting and impending over the metathorax, which is truncated;wingswith two submarginal cells, and a third indistinctly commenced, the second slightly the longest, and receiving the two recurrent nervures one at each extremity;legsmoderate, subsetose, the tibiæ fimbriated along the edges, the anteriorspursslightly palmated; theplantæof the four anterior pairs longer than their tibiæ, but those of the posterior not quite so long, and all densely clothed all round with a brush of short close hair; theclawsdistinctly bifid.Abdomensemicircular, very convex; the base truncated and hollowedto fit the metathorax; thesegmentsslightly constricted, theterminal segmenttransversely concave, and its apex terminating in three slight angles; theventer, which is flat, is densely clothed from the second segment with parallel layers of equal, moderately long, shining hair, the segment being distinctly indicated by these layers.

TheMALEdiffers in being considerably larger; themandiblesmerely tridentate; thelegslonger and more robust; thetibiæandtarsimore densely fimbriated externally, and the tarsi relatively much longer; theabdomendensely edged laterally with short curled hair, the terminal segment with three processes, the lateral ones strong and curved internally, the central one shorter and straight, and the penultimate segment transversely concave, with a strong tooth on each side curved externally, and the venter glabrous beneath.

NATIVE SPECIES.

1.manicatum, Linnæus. 5-8 lines. (Plate XIII.fig. 1 ♂♀.)manicatum, Kirby.

1.manicatum, Linnæus. 5-8 lines. (Plate XIII.fig. 1 ♂♀.)

manicatum, Kirby.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

The generic name in this instance seems to be manufactured from the rootἄνθος,a flower. I cannot trace any other derivation as it may not be attributed merely to the habits of the species in frequenting flowers, for is not this the prime function of all the bees, wherein they fulfil a most important office in the economy of nature? How easy might it have been to regulate that flowers should fertilize themselves, as many do without any extraneous intervention, but by this wise and benevolent ordination a tribe of sensitive creatures is introduced tobe perpetuated by the perpetuation they supply to that which supports them, and in this circle of reciprocal good offices lend an additional charm to the genial seasons, by the animation which they give to the face of nature, in embellishing the plants they visit with their vivacity and music.

These bees are gay insects, for both sexes are richly spotted with yellow, and they present the single instance which occurs amongst our bees of the male being considerably the largest, and so boisterous is he in his amours that he forcibly conveys his partner to the upper regions of the air, where she is compelled to yield to his solicitations. His whole structure is fully adapted to carry out this violent abduction, as well in the length and power of his limbs as in the prehensile teeth with which the apex of his abdomen is armed.

We have but one species of the genus, although the southern parts of the Continent abound in them. The habits of ours differ very considerably from those of the preceding genus. First, in the peculiarity just described, and then in the formation of their nests. They do not, like the majority of the wild bees, excavate or bore a cavity for themselves, but take one already formed by the xylophagous larva of some considerable insect, such asCerambyx moschatus, orCossus ligniperda. This they line, to the depth suitable to them, with cottony down which they scrape from the leaves or stalk of the Woolly Hedge-nettle (Stachys Germanica), the Wild Lychnis (Agrostemma), and other woolly-leaved plants. In collecting this wool the insect is very active, scraping it off rapidly with its broad mandibles, and as this is doing she gradually rolls it up into a little ball, making with the vibration of her wingsa considerable hum all the time she is gathering it, and when the ball is sufficiently large she flies off with it to her nidus; this operation she continues until sufficient is accumulated for her purpose, which consists in lining the cavity with the material; she then forms cells within it in succession, gluing the same material together to resist the escape of the mixed store of pollen and honey she intends to fill it with, having in the operation smoothed the sides of the cell which is closed after the deposit of the egg, and another similar cell is then proceeded with, and this is repeated until the selected cavity is filled, or that she has exhausted her store. Having completed her labours, she wanders away. Sometimes the cavity is large and admits of the conjunction of many of these cells together; in that case they are all collectively covered with the same envelope of downy substance. The larva, having consumed its entire store of food, spins a cocoon of brown silk wherein it remains throughout the winter, and with the evolution of spring, feeling its propulsive energy, it changes into the pupa. In June and July, but earlier if the weather be continuously warm, the imago comes forth in its maturity, to live its little life of labour intermingled with pleasure, and in its pleasing hum to give cheerful notification of its perfect satisfaction.

Genus 21.Chelostoma,Latreille.(Plate XIII.fig. 2, ♂♀.)Apis**c2γpartly, Kirby.

Genus 21.Chelostoma,Latreille.

(Plate XIII.fig. 2, ♂♀.)

Apis**c2γpartly, Kirby.

Gen. Char.:Bodynearly glabrous and coarsely punctured.Headsubglobose, rather wider than the thorax;ocelliin a triangle in the centre of the vertex, which is broad and slightly convex;antennæshort, subclavate, geniculated, the scape nearly one-half the length of the flagellum and more robust; the first and second joint of the flagellum subclavate, the basal one the longest and most robust, the remainder short, subequal, and gradually enlarging to the apical one, which is obtuse and as long as the basal joint;faceflat, slightly convex between the insertion of the antennæ;cheekslarge and protuberant;clypeusconcave, projecting, lobated in front, where it is slightly emarginate in the centre;labrumelongate at its articulation, broader than beyond, and from this expansion immediately and abruptly contracting, from the inner angles of the contraction waving to about three-fourths its length, whence it is produced into an equal truncated oblong;mandiblesbidentate, external tooth acute, inner one obtuse;cibarial apparatuslong; thetonguetwice the length of the labium, narrowest at its base and obtuse at the extremity, and clothed with short setæ;paraglossævery short, coadunate at the base and acuminate;labial palpitwo-thirds the length of the tongue, with the three first joints membranous and flat, conterminous and tapering to their extremity, the first joint about one-half the length of the second, the third twice the length of the fourth, which is clavate and articulated within the apex of the third;maxillæsubhastate and acuminate, as long as the tongue;maxillary palpivery short, rather stout, the joints subequal and the terminal one acute.Thoraxoval, convex;prothoraxinconspicuouswing-scalesrather large;scutellumtransversely quadrate, convex;post-scutellumtransverse, linear;metathoraxgradually declining, with a glabrous triangular space at its base;wingswith two submarginal cells nearly equal and a third commenced; the second receives both the recurrent nervures, the first beyond its commencement and the second before its termination;legsshortish, subsetose, the anterior spurs short, broad, and emarginate at the apex; theposterior plantæwith a compact dense brush within;claw-jointlong;clawssimple.Abdomenlonger than head and thorax, subclavate, convex above, retuse at the base, and the apical segment obtuse at its extremity, the venter flat, its segments clothed from the second with dense parallel brushes of longish hair for the conveyance of pollen.

TheMALEdiffers in having theheadless conspicuously globose; thecheeksless protuberant; the whole body more pilose, the anteriorspursrobust, short, and abruptly obliquely truncated; theantennæslender, filiform, much longer than in the female, but not much longer than the head, and from the fourth to the ninth joints serratulate within, adapting it to a sharp curve; theabdomenbeing equal, cylindrical, retuse at its base, convex above, and flat on the venter, where it has a longitudinal deeply concave mucro in the centre of the second segment, which concavity runs along all the subsequent segments, and it is densely pilose on the fourth; the terminal dorsal segment being deeply emarginate in the centre and produced on each side into a broad obtuse process; theclawsare more robust than in the female and bidentate; the posterior pair being subclavate, and their single tooth abruptly reflected.

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