492 INSTINCT OF INSECTS. 



badly put together, it would still manifest some talent 

 to be able to repair these defects, and to compensate 

 one irregularity by another : but it is far more asto- 

 nishing that they know how to quit their ordinary rou- 

 tine when circumstances require that they should build 

 male cells ; that they should be instructed to vary the 

 dimensions and the shape of each piece so as to return 

 to a regular order ; and that, after having Constructed 

 thirty or forty ranges of male cells, they again leave the 

 regular order on which these were formed, and arrive 

 by successive diminutions at the point from which they 

 set out. How should these insects be able to extricate 

 themselves from such a difficulty — from such a compli- 

 cated structure? how pass from the little to the great, 

 from a regular plan to an irregular one, and again re- 

 sume the former r These are question's w hich no known 

 system can explain*. 



Here again, as observed in a former instance, the 

 wonder would be less, ifexerj/ comb contained a certain 

 number of transition and of male cells, constantly si- 

 tuated in one and the sa7ne part of it: but this is far 

 from being the case. The event which alone, at what- 

 ever period it may happen, seems to determine tJie bees 

 to construct male cells, is the oviposition of the queen. 

 So long as she continues to lay the eggs of workers not 

 a male cell is founded; but as soon as she is about to 

 lay male eggs, the workers seem aware of it, and you 

 then see them form their cells irregularly, impart to 

 them by degrees a greater diameter, and at length pre- 

 pare suitable ranges of cradles for all the male race**. 

 — You must perceive how absurd it would be to refer 



^ Uuber, ii. 2-21-226. 244-217. " Ibid. ii. 326. 



