KIVE-BEES. 141 



oftener they change inhabitants. Every bee-grub, 

 before its metamorphosis into a nymph, fastens its 

 skin to the partitions of its cell, but in such a man- 

 ner as to_ make it correspond with the Hues of the 

 angles, and without in the least disturbing the regula- 

 rity of the figure. During summer, accordingly, the 

 same lodging may serve for three or four grubs in 

 succession; and in the ensuing season it may accom- 

 modate an equal number. Each grub never fails to 

 fortify the panels of its chamber by arraying them 

 with its spoils and the contiguous cells receive a si- 

 milar augmentation from its brethren.* Reaumur 

 found as many as seven or eight of these skins 

 spread over one another: so that all the cells being 

 incrusted with six or seven coverings, well dried and 

 cemented with propolis, the whole fabric daily ac- 

 quires anew degree of solidity. 



It is obvious, however, that by a repetition of this 

 process the cell might be rendered too contracted; 

 but in such a case the bees know well how to pro- 

 ceed, by turning the cells to other uses, such as ma- 

 gazines for bee-bread and honey. It has been re- 

 marked, however, that in the hive of a new swarm, 

 during the months of July and August, there are 

 lewer small bees or nurse-bees, than in one that has 

 been tenanted four or five years. The workers, in- 

 deed, clean out the cell the moment that a young 

 bee leaves its cocoon, but they never detach the 

 silky film which it has previously spun on- the walls 

 of its cell. But though honey is deposited after the 

 young leave the cells, the reverse also happens; and 

 accordingly when bees are bred in contracted cells, 

 they are by necessity smaller, and constitute, in fact, 

 the important class of nurse-bees. 



We are not disposed, however, to go quite so far as 

 an American periodical writer, who says, " Thus we 



* Spectacle de la Nature, vol. i. 



