100 INSECT ARCHITECTURE. 



and conveyed it to their mouths. Those that had 

 eaten it most greedily, mounted the combs before the 

 rest and stopping on the cells of the young worms, 

 inserted their heads, and remained there for a certain 

 time. M. Burnens opened one of the divisions of 

 the hive gently, and powdered the workers, for the 

 purpose of recognising them when they should 

 ascend the combs. He observed them during several 

 hours, and by this means ascertained that they took 

 so great a quantity of pollen only to impart it to 

 their young. Then withdrawing the portions of 

 comb which had been placed by us on the board of 

 the hive, we saw that the pollen had been sensibly 

 diminished in quantity. They were returned to 

 the bees, to augment their provision still farther, for 

 the purpose of extending the experiment. The 

 royal, as well as several common cells were soon 

 closed; and, on opening the hive, all the worms were 

 found to have prospered. Some still had their food 

 before them; the cells of others that had spun were 

 shut with a waxen covering. 



'^ We witnessed these facts repeatedly, and always 

 with equal interest. They so decisively prove the 

 regard of the bees towards the grubs wliicli they are 

 entrusted -with rearing, that we shall not seek for 

 any other explanation of their conduct. Another 

 fact, no less extraordinary, and much more difficult 

 to be accounted for, was exhibited by bees constrained 

 to work in wax, several times successively, from the 

 syrup of sugar. Towards the close of the experiment 

 they ceased to feed the young, though in the begin- 

 ning these had received the usual attention. They 

 even frequently dragged them from their cells, and 

 carried them out of the hive."* 



Mr Wiston, of Germantown, in the United States, 



* Huber on Bees. 



