. Insect architecture. Insects. Cellt of Carpenler-Bees, excavated in an old post.—la fig. a tne cells contain the young grubs ; in fig. B the cells are empty. Both figures are shewn in section, and about half the natural size. Some days after it was finished, we cut into the post, and exposed this nest to view. It consisted of six cells of a somewhat square shape, the wood forming the lateral walls ; and each was separated from the one adjacent by a partition of clay, of the thickness of a playing card. The wood was not lined with any extraneous substance, but was worked ;is
. Insect architecture. Insects. Cellt of Carpenler-Bees, excavated in an old post.—la fig. a tne cells contain the young grubs ; in fig. B the cells are empty. Both figures are shewn in section, and about half the natural size. Some days after it was finished, we cut into the post, and exposed this nest to view. It consisted of six cells of a somewhat square shape, the wood forming the lateral walls ; and each was separated from the one adjacent by a partition of clay, of the thickness of a playing card. The wood was not lined with any extraneous substance, but was worked ;is smooth as if it had been chiselled by a joiner. There were five cells, arranged in a very singular manner—two being almost horizontal, two perpendi- cular, and one oblique. The depth to which the wood was excavated, in this instance, was considerably less than what we have observed in other species which dig perpendi- cular galleries several inches deep in posts and gar den-seats ; and they are inferior in ingenuity to the carpentry of a bee described by Re'aumur (Xylocopa violacea), which has not been ascertained to be a native of Britain, though a single indigenous species of the genus has been doubtingly mentioned, and is. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Rennie, James, 1787-1867. London, M. A. Nattali
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjectinsects, bookyear1846
