THE JIIHTORY OF A IIUMBLK-REE. 165 







FIG. 55. — HUMBLE-BEE UPHOLSTERY — WOKKEli BUKROWING FOR 

 ROOTLETS, AND QUEEN COVERING HER NEST. FROM NATURE. 



well envy such force and skill as these. What a pity it 

 should be so ill employed, for this work seems utterly 

 without purpose ; is it so ?" 



" Wait a while," I answered. "Patience and watch- 

 fulness solve many mysteries in the behavior of nature. 

 I dare say we shall by-and-by find some reasonable 

 issue to this work." 



So it proved ; for before the evening ended the 

 mystery was disclosed. We discovered that the object 

 of the bees was the garnering of the fine roots running 

 through the sod. These were pulled out in quantities, 

 raked down the slope by the hind feet, and added to the 

 mass of upholstery. Next morning when I visited my 

 hive I found the cells quite covered ; the summit of the 



