The Life of the Bee 



mands. We have here the union of 

 two mighty instincts; and their workings 

 throw into light, though they leave unre- 

 solved, many an enigma of the hive. 



It will happen, for instance, that the 

 workers will distance her, and acquire a 

 certain start ; whereupon, mindful of 

 their duties as careful housewives to pro- 

 vide for the bad days ahead, they hasten 

 to fill with honey the cells they have 

 wrested from the avidity of the species. 

 But the queen approaches ; material wealth 

 must give way to the scheme of nature • 

 and the distracted workers are compelled 

 with all speed to remove the importunate 

 treasure. 



But assume them to be a whole comb 

 ahead, and to have no longer before them 

 her who stands for the tyranny of days 

 they shall none of them see ; we find 

 then that they eagerly, hurriedly, build 

 a zone of large cells, cells for males ; 

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