116 HYMENOPTERA. 



undergoing its first transformation, must eventuate in the 

 shipwreck of the little innocent ; thus doomed to die, but 

 surely the sweetest of deaths. 



After its first change the larva is no longer in danger of 

 submersion, being so organized as to float upon the surface 

 of the honey in perfect security. 



I will now point out the measure of romance that appears 

 to me to be mixed up in this short history. At various times 

 I have obtained cells of Anthophora acervorum ; cells freshly 

 provisioned by the bee, others with the undeveloped eggs 

 resting upon it ; many containing the larvae, in all stages of 

 progress; — and what were the cells provisioned with ? pollen 

 paste, as Mr. Newport calls it ; stiff paste on which either 

 the larva of Sitaris, or that of the bee, might rest in perfect 

 security ; in fact quite as safely as if placed upon an unbaked 

 loaf or biscuit; floating is quite impossible, or certainly 

 would have been so in every cell of Anthophora that I have 

 inspected. 



But there is another remarkable circumstance to be 

 noticed : M. Fabre tells us, that the Sitaris larva floats on 

 the honey in the empty shell of the egg of Anthophora ; 

 I have not only seen the egg of Anthophoraj but also those of 

 many other species of bees ; the egg of Anthophoi'a has no 

 shell ; the egg of a bee, instead of a shell, is outwardly en- 

 veloped in a skin of so delicate a texture, so exceedingly thin 

 and transparent, and so extremely flexible, that I do not 

 know anything with which to compare it ; this delicate skin, 

 once pierced, certainly could not answer the purpose of a 

 raft or float. 



My own observation therefore leads me to the conclusion, 

 that amidst much truthful observation, enthusiasm has 

 grafted a certain amount of romance ; but it is well observed 



