UPHOLSTERER-ISEES. 47 



of provisions for her future progeny she lays an egg, and 

 over it folds down the tapestry of poppy-petals from above. 

 The upper part is then filled in with earth ; but Latreille 

 says, he has observed more than one cell constructed in a 

 single excavation. This may account for Eeaumur's de- 

 scribing them as sometimes seven inches deep ; a circum- 

 stance which Latreille, however, thinks very surprising. 



It will, perhaps, be impossible ever to ascertain, beyond 

 a doubt, whether the tapestry-bee is led to select the bril- 

 liant petals of the poppy from their colour, or fiom any 

 other quality they may possess, of softness or of warmth, 

 for instance. Reaumur thinks that the largeness, united 

 with the flexibility of the poppy-leaves, determines her 

 choice. Yet it is not improbable that her eye may be 

 gratified by the appearance of her nest ; that she may 

 possess a feeling of the beautiful in colour, and may look 

 with complacency upon the delicate hangings of the apart- 

 ment which she destines for her offspring. Why should 

 not an insect be supposed to have a glimmering of the value 

 of ornament ? How can we pronounce, from our limited 

 notion of the mode in which the inferior animals think and 

 act, that their gratifications are wholly bounded by the 

 positive utility of the objects which surround them ? Why 

 does a dog howl at the sound of a bugle, but because it 

 offends his organ of hearing ? — and why, therefore, may not 

 a bee feel gladness in the brilliant hues of her scarlet 

 drapery, because they are grateful to her oi-gans of sight ? 

 All these little creatures work, probably, with more neat- 

 ness and finish than is absolutely essential for comfort ; and 

 this circumstance alone would imply that they have some- 

 thing of taste to exhibit, which produces to them a plea- 

 surable emotion. 



The tapestry-bee is, however, content with ornamenting 

 the interior only of the nest which she forms for her 

 progeny. She does not misplace her embellishments with 

 the error of some human artists. She desires security as 

 well as elegance; and, therefore, she leaves no external 

 traces of her operations. Hers is not a mansion rich with 

 columns and friezes without, but cold and unfurnished 



