250 THE HUMBLE-BEE x 
every time I saw a worker attack the cell I took it 
away. In this way I removed ten workers. Still 
some assaulted it, but their attacks were less 
vehement. 
Aug. 8, 7.30 A.M. The cell remains, but is much 
reduced in size, and is not nearly large enough to 
contain all the eggs; some must have been removed 
during the night. The workers do not now molest 
the cell, but cherish it, and the queen takes no 
notice of it. 
About 5.0 p.m. a fresh cell was constructed in 
another part of the comb, and the queen laid a 
number of eggs in it and kept guard over them. 
At 7.45 she added one or two more eggs to these, 
bringing the total number in the cell to about ten. 
Aug. 9. This cell has also survived the attacks 
of the workers. 
At 1.20 p.m. another cell was begun. Three or 
four workers were busy at it, but the queen visited 
it only occasionally, and at 1.50 it had disappeared ; 
probably the workers intended this cell for the 
reception of their own eggs. 
At 2.45 again a cell was started; this was slowly 
completed, and the queen began to lay at 3.50. 
Watching her at work it seemed to me that she 
often missed the cell with her tail because she was 
not quite ready to lay, for a determined effort always 
succeeded. 
Aug. 10, 7 A.M. This third cell of eggs has also 
survived the night, and is not so much reduced in 
size as the last. Evidently the queen has learnt 
