86 INSECT ARCHITECTURE. 



"Next day, the lOtli of July, we saw the rudiments of 

 two royal cells, which the bees had formed on one of the 

 brood-combs. This evening, at the same honr as on the 

 preceding, we again heard a loud buzzing in the closed 

 hive; agitation and disorder rose to the highest degree, 

 and we were again obliged to let the swarm escape. The 

 bees did not remain long absent from their habitation ; they 

 quieted and returned as before, ^\e remarked on the 20th 

 that the ro3^al cells had not been continued, as would have 

 been the case in the ordinary state of things. A great 

 tumult 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 recog- 

 nised ; but it was obvious that they had not been enlarged. 

 AYhy should they ? Neither eggs, grubs, nor that kind of 

 paste peculiar to the individuals of their species were 

 there ! The other cells were vacant likewise ; no brood, 

 not an atom of paste, was in them. Thus, the worms had 

 died of hunger. Had we precluded the bees from all 

 means of sustenance b}^ removing the farina ? To decide 

 this point, it was necessarj^ 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 collec- 

 tions 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 consolidated the combs, and remained on the 

 brood. They were then provided with fragments of combs, 

 where other workers had stored up farina ; and to be able 

 to observe what they did with it, we took this substance 



