160 TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



Here and there was a cell tilled with 3ellow wax; 

 and there were several small clusters of dirty gray cells 

 filled with honey. 



"Is that all there is of the nest?" asked Abby. 

 Really, I am disappointed. This doesn't compare with 

 the honey-bee's comb for beauty of structure." 



"This is all ; certainly the architecture cannot com- 

 pare with that of the honey-l)ee, but there is much to 

 admire in it after all. The humble-bee is not a child of 

 civilization, and its ruder craft is very well adapted to 

 its wilder life." 



"Look at those cunning little bees," said the Mis- 

 tress, "crawling over the cells. I suppose they are 

 lately hatched and half-grown, and they don't seem 

 to shun you at all ! why is that ?" 



"You forget," I answered, "that there is no such 

 thing as a half-grown bee except in the larval or 

 grub condition. The larvre feed enormously, but when 

 they pass into the pupal state and transform, the}' come 

 out into the imago or perfect insect, full grown. There 

 is no increase in stature after that. These white- 

 headed forms which you have called ' half-grown ' are 

 the small workers or minors. These, a size or two 

 larger, are the male bees or drones. There is nothing 

 very courageous in handling them, for they are stingless. 

 Nature has left them absolutely without means of of- 

 fense and defense." 



" Look at them I" cried Abby, indignantly. " They 

 are crawling around and around over the broken colls 

 lapping uj) the honey ! Stingless, hey ? Lazy, greed3' 



