x Eee ot Ne MY STUDY 247 
three eggs were seen in the bottom of the latter. 
She was now kept busy repelling audacious workers, 
but often, as on the previous day, when she 
attempted to follow one, another would seize the 
Opportunity to put its head into the cell, and make 
a show of devouring the eggs, although the great 
depth of the cell prevented its doing any injury to 
them. 
The queen evidently had more eggs to lay, for 
she did not close up the cell, and the next minute 
she was laying again. Again she left the cell; again 
she laid; she was very active. At 4.35 when she 
took another rest there were eight eggs in the cell. 
During this interval, while the queen was working 
at the wall with her jaws, a worker plunged its 
ead) inte, the cell right under her nose.” For “a 
moment the queen continued to work as if she 
had not noticed her, then growing exasperated she 
seized the worker and pitched it headlong. She 
laid one or two more eggs, and then, at 4.42, 
hurriedly sealed the cell over, and commenced 
guarding it. 
At 8 p.m. the queen was still keeping a close 
guard over her eggs. A worker occasionally suc- 
ceeded in making a small hole in the top of the cell, 
but the queen soon discovered the mischief and 
repaired it. 
A worker attacking the cell did no harm to the 
eggs during the first half minute, but merely, as it 
slowly bit the cell open, made a great fuss which 
usually attracted the queen. It was only if the 
