PLATE CXX. U

<£ In firmest oak they scoop a spacious tomb,

" And lay their embryo in the spurious womb

We find this season, the Apis Centuncularis has done considerablemjury among the Timber Plantations i nEjJex-, and we have similarinformation from some parts of Cambridgejhlre. A Gentleman sentme (early in the Spring) a piece of Oak, containing a quantity ofthe larva, from his plantation at Birdbrook , in EJfex. He informsme, several Gentlemen in his neighbourhood had found large trunksof apparently healthy Oaks, completely perforated and filled with thelarva of this mischievous Insect ; in many instances the trunk had beenmaterially injured, and the cafes were arranged as shewn by the hori-zontal Section at Fig. 4, in our Plate.—The perforations were in alongitudinal direction, several feet through the solid timber, and whenthe leaves were fresh, appeared as shewn at Fig . r.

The Insect commences its operation at the upper part of the trunkof the tree; then boring in an oblique direction for about two inchesvr more, it follows a longitudinal course, it divides the ligneous fibres,or threads, till it forms the diameter of the cavity, which is aboutthree-eighths of an inch, its depth various; sometimes only a few inches,at others, considerably more ; when the cavity is entirely formed, andall the dust and fragments cleared away, it finishes the sides perfectlysmooth; the hardest knot in the timber being insufficient to resist thestrength of its jaws.—The cavity, when finished, appears dividedby flight ridges, placed at the distance of about three quarters ofan inch from each other; this serves to regulate the size of eachapartment or cell; and it now only remains to be lined for thereception of the egg: this lining is generally composed of rose-leaves; and is applied to the apartments in a very curious manner :the Parent Bee flies with a leaf to the orifice of the perforation, whereshe clips it round to the size of the hole; this is forced to the bottomof the lowest veil; about seven, eight, or ten of such pieces. formthe first layer; it next forms the sides, or cylindrical part of thelining; this is done by laying several whole leaves partly over each

* Brookes on Universal Beauty*

other,