HIVE-BEES. 



99 



took place in the evening ; the bees appeared to be in 

 a delirium ; we set them at liberty, and order was 

 restored on their return. Their captivity having 

 endured five days, we thought it needless to protract 

 it farther ; besides, we were desirous of knowing, 

 whether the brood was in a suitable condition, and if 

 it had made the usual progress ; and we wished also 

 to try to discover what might be the cause of the 

 periodical agitation of the bees. M. Burnens, (the 

 assistant of Huber) having, exposed the two brood 

 combs, the royal cells were immediately recognised ; 

 l)ut it vv'as obvious that they had not been enlarged. 

 Why should they ! Neither eggs, grubs, nor that 

 kind of paste pecuhar to the individuals of their 

 species were there ! The other cells were vacant like- 

 wise ; no brood, not an atom of paste was in them. 

 Thus, the worms had died of hunger. Had we pre-*- 

 eluded the bees from all means of sustenance by 

 removing the farina ? To decide this point, it was 

 necessary to confide other brood to the care of the 

 same insects, now giving them abundance of pollen. 

 They had not been enabled to make any collections 

 while we examined their combs. On this occasion 

 they escaped in an apartment where the windows 

 were shut ; and after substituting young worms for 

 those they had allowed to perish, we returned them 

 to their prison. Next day we remarked that they had 

 resumed courage ; they had consoHdated the combs, 

 and remained on the brood. They were then provided 

 v.'ith frao-ments of combs, where other workers had 

 stored up farina ; and to be able to observe what they 

 did with it, we took this substance from some of their 

 cells, and spread it on the board of the hive. The 

 bees soon discovered both the farina in the combs 

 and what we had exposed to them. They crowded to 

 the cells, and also descending to the bottom of the 

 hives, took the pollen grain by grain in their teeth, 



