128 PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 



touched, raise round ihe selected worm a cylindrical tube, 

 which follows the horizontal direction of the other cells : 

 but since at the close of the third day of its life its habi- 

 tation must assume a different form and direction, they 

 gnaw away the cells below it, and sacrifice without pity 

 the grubs they contain, using the wax of which they were 

 formed to construct a new pyramidal tube, which they 

 join at right angles to the horizontal one, the diameter of 

 the former diminishing insensibly from its base to its 

 mouth. During the two days which the grub inhabits 

 this cell, like the common royal cells now become verti- 

 cal^, a bee may always be observed with its head plunged 

 into it; and when one quits it another takes its place. 

 These bees keep lengthening the cell as the worm grows 

 older, and duly supply it with food, which they place 

 before its mouth, and round its body. The animal, 

 which can only move in a spiral direction, keeps inces- 

 santly turning to take the jelly deposited before it ; and 

 thus slowly working downwards, arrives insensibly near 

 the orifice of the cell, just at the time that it is ready to 

 assume the pupa ; when, as before described, the workers 

 shut up its cradle with an appropriate covering^. 



When you have read this account, T fear, with the 

 celebrated John Hunter, you will not be very read}' to 

 believe it, at least you will call upon me to bring forth 

 my " strong reasons " in support of it. What ! — you will 

 exclaim — can a larger and warmer house (for the royal 

 cells are affirmed to enjoy a higher temperature than 

 those of the other bees'^), a different and more pungent 

 kind of food, and a vertical instead of a horizontal pos- 



" Reaumur, who was however unacquainted with this extraordinary 

 fact, has figured one of these cells, v. t. 32./. .S. h. 



" Compare Bonnet, x. 150, with Huber, i. 134— ' Schirach, 69. 



