. The transformations (or metamorphoses) of insects (Insecta, Myriapoda, Arachnida, and Crustacea) : being an adaptation, for English readers, of M. Émile Blanchard's "Metamorphoses, moeurs et instincts des insects;" and a compilation from the works of Newport, Charles Darwin, Spence Bate, Fritz Müller, Packard, Lubbock, Stainton, and others. low down near each cell, and it forms a kind of door, hiddenvery carefully by rather soft sand or cement. It is very remarkable that this insect should not alwa)-s buildup its nest in the same manner, and that it should occasionallyuse the ruins of last y
. The transformations (or metamorphoses) of insects (Insecta, Myriapoda, Arachnida, and Crustacea) : being an adaptation, for English readers, of M. Émile Blanchard's "Metamorphoses, moeurs et instincts des insects;" and a compilation from the works of Newport, Charles Darwin, Spence Bate, Fritz Müller, Packard, Lubbock, Stainton, and others. low down near each cell, and it forms a kind of door, hiddenvery carefully by rather soft sand or cement. It is very remarkable that this insect should not alwa)-s buildup its nest in the same manner, and that it should occasionallyuse the ruins of last years nests for the foundation and wallsof the n^w. Old and more or less broken down nests, whichcontain vacant cells and the skins of the nymphs, frequentlyremain attached to walls, and the Chalicodoma, when exploring. 246 TRANSFORMATIONS OF JNSFCTS. appears to keep a sharp look out for them, and takes care tospare itself all the trouble possible by repairing the broken downcells and making them as good as new. The female cleans outthe inside, removes the debris of the cocoons, and brushes outthe skins of the larvae and nymphs, and all uncleanly the holes are repaired, the openings are closed up, and theold nest begins to resemble one of the year. Sometimes themason bee becomes lazy, and then she penetrates into the nest. THE Ostnia aunilcnla a.\d its nest. which some other one is making, and, if she likes the position,endeavours to maintain it by force. Reaumur says that when oneo{ these bees was gone to collect some cement wherewith to finishup the cell, M. du Hamel saw another one enter in without anyceremony, crawl all about, and turn everything over, just as ifthe nest belonged to it. That this was not done out of curiositywas gleaned from the fact that when the true mistress of thenest arrived, laden with building materials, the other one wouldnot allow lier to enter, and she was obliged to fight the usurping THE OSMLE. 247 bee in order to obtain her rights
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjec, booksubjectcrustacea
