The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-11-08
STUDY THE
CARPENTER
Teachers Take Up
Investigation
Fully.

The presence of numerous corks plug
geJ into what look like bullet holes in
gate posts and other wooden uprights, Is
merely an indication that the Nature
study Society, composed of teachers of
the public schools of Honolulu, is pur-
suing its investigations into the habits
of what is generally known as the car
penter bee" This queer member OF the
insect family has long record of de-
struction behind him, and many an i'm
posing building in this city has been rem
dered unsafe by his habits of tunnelling
into choice newell posts, ratings and
supports. The Nature Study Society pro-
poses not only to learn his history and
habits, but to determine what will di-
minish his race. A few of the members
have begun by filling the holes with
drops of ammonia, and corkng them UP.
The results have been gratifying. as
none but dead carpenters were after
wards found.
The Nature Study Society met last eve
ming at the High School where an in
teresting discussion upon the carpenter
bee and some of his cousins was had
for an hour and IA half by more than
score of teachers of "a scientific turn OF
mind The discussion was held in the
main study room down stairs, and was
rendered doubly interesting by the dis
play of several cOlored drawings show
ing the black and the brown bees, and
the scientific manner of their tunnelling
Numerous specimens of his destructive
work In the shape OF sections OF redwood
posts were exhibited, together with va
rous portions of the bees anatomy
which were stuck upon white cards
These exhibits showed where the carpen-
ter bee carried his chest of tools with
which he tunnels into posts, and the
very marvellous construction of his
mouth
10y a statement OF the manner in which
scientific clubs were conducted at Cor
nell University, by ID. l.. Van Dine, of
the faculty of the Normal School. He
stated that there were two organizations,
one for chronological and the other for
the horticultural researches, and both
were carried on informally. The object
was to have as many of the
members as possible take part
This struck the audience well, and
"A committee of three will be appointed
before the next meeting by the chair
man to report on some method of con-
Quoting the meetings in future along
these lines.
Miss King then read Il very interesting
paper on the carpenter bee, developed
from her own Investigations during the
drawings, bottled specimens. alive and
dead. sections of wood showing the mar
vellously constructed tunnels, and par
titions formed of sawdust packed in
spiral layers, and Jumps OF provisions
placed for feeding the newly born. The
bees are found in large numbers
in these Islands, and attention was
generally drawn to them when they We're
seen in the vicinity of the small round
N In n
of the carpenter bees life, Miss King
had procured colored bottle and q
net, located a telephone pole perforated
with holes made by bees, placed the
mouth of the bottle over one of them.
and then thumped the tree with stick.
out came a big bee then smaller ones,
all emerging backward, and lastly came
some bees covered with sawdust, the
real carpenters. She obtained "A section
of redwood post and investigated the
net work of tunnels inside by cutting
transversely through it. There were
long tunnels separated into chambers
by sawdust walls, formed In layers.
These were not empty, as In some were
yellow Jumps and in others worms and
small bugs This is the home of the bee,
consisting of the tunnels, the rooms be
ing the cells. The latter are generally
about three-quarters of an inch in depth.
The partitions are curiously wrought,
made Of fine sawdust, which the carpen-
ter bee has thrown aside as he works,
and then packed hard. Not only does
he build home in dead wood, such as
posts but in the dead branches of bread
fruit and algaroba trees.
The Jumps of food are composed of tai
low and hector obtained from flowers,
The oldest bees she had found We're at
the end OF the tunnel and the newest
born near the entrance. After the latter
are big enough to escape there are bees
which proceed to scrape out the debris
and make the tunnels clean. The black
bee is the worker. His mouth is his tool
chest, and ii is complete. His hind legs
covered with thick brush of hair,
with which the bee obtains the pollen
from flowers. This is in marked con-
trast TO the honey bees. The carpenters
visit the hibiscus, banana and palms.
These odd bees live in families, each
family having a separate tunnel and set
of cells: there is no general community
life. With the honey bees there is no
family life, but that of the community,
presided over by the queen bee. There
are more brown than black bees They
all forage for honey in the day time and
sleep in the cells II night.
Mir. Van Dine had some interestinS
data and specimens of the carpenter bee
but said the subject was a comparatively
new one to him lie told how they IN
iured flowers at the nectar. Instead OF
putting their proboscis down the center
portion OF the flower, they pierce through
it at the side, even doing the same with
the small lantana flowers.
Prof. U. Thompson spoke entertaining
IL on the manner in which the bees were
brought into existence, and had severa
specimens showing the gradual develop