Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1889-10-29
THE LEAE.cUT1lNo BEE.
strange DoInEs of . Particularly InduO.
trlouD Insect

strange O0lnES of . Particularly lnduoS
trIOuS Insect
OF oil our visitors. however. tho
most Interesting is tho 'e;if-cutting
oee, who comes TO work upon an old
fashioned blush-rOsebush which forms
q part Of sido wall Of our parlor.
Bees. you know. arc such busy Z cut
ures that they can not oven mike O
call without taking their work with
them. and 1t was the iuint sound Of
his industry that first drew attention
to our new iriond on q leaf of tho rose
bush. Looking closely to see what the
stranger wns about wo were amazed
to find TINT, having placed her4elf
astrido of tho edge Uf the leaf. the bee
was deliberately cutting out with her
jaws Il piece OF the leaf. rolling IL
up beneath her as she did 80. We
tried to trace her flight when the
cutting was done. but this astonishing
visitor balIlcd US in our pursuit by dis
appearing quito suddenly into the
oarth.-Just where we could not dis
cover
When nll these strange doings were
related at the dinner table tho family
punster dec. ared that such n PERFORM
ance OF bee on leaf was clearly bo-
You'd bc-'iel. and hnd not the bee con-
unued her visits. giving a;l IN oppor-
tunity OF forming her acquaintance
and seeing her work. the truth of our
account oil Mrs. Bee might still be
doubted.
Happily she was not easily disturbed,
and at n call from some watcher in
the outdoor parlor. "The bee is at
work, we could gather quito closely
around To observe her. when she had
carefully chosen the leaf that best
suited her and began the work OF cut
ting " Toward the close Of the sum-
NOR tho selection Of leaves was made
with greater care, sometimes as many
as SIX leaves being inspected before
one was found sufficiently tender for
her purpose. Often when Mss Bee
started for home her roll Of WORK wns
30 heavy that che fairly tumb.ed of
tho leaf with H. and had u pause an
instant to recover her balance before
brave y carrying It away. hut whore
did she take hcr load. and what did
che do with those nicely cut pieces OF
lcnfp She WINS too busy TO toll us, ami.
although We were enger TO return hor
Gus we could not discover her home.
and could not imagine why she cut
rose loavcs so industrious.y Until wo
happened upon book, Fora Clavigeu,
one day which tod us nj about IT,
IL seems that these bee, build nosts
OF tho leaves Of the rose aud other
trees under the surface OF the ground
or In old wood. These nests are some
times six inches deep. aud generally
consist Of Six or seven cells. each
shaped like II th;mble. tho closed end
OF ono thim1ie fitting into tho open
end OF another When CO..: Is formed
OF tho pieces OF lcni, sucn Us wo va
watched the bee cut out, IT. Is flied
with honey, and 80 nicely arc the
coils built that they hold the liquid
honey without leakage On tho coll
full OF honey an egg Is deposited and
then the cell Is closed with three cir
c,ilar bits OF lenf for a cover Mr.
Ruskin says tho bee pushes down tho
little cell covers with n tucked-up rim
quite tight. like the covering of u pot
Of preserves. Think OF each Young
loo having nice little pot OF honey
AL to itseIfl-Harper's Young People
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Clerk (enterinp theatrical manaA