42 Report, 8fc. 



her legs and returns home with them ; she then straightens the 

 folds, and if too large cuts them to the proper size. Beginning 

 at the bottom she covers the walls of her mansion with this brilliant 

 tapestry, extending it to the surface of the ground round the margin 

 of the orifice ; the bottom is rendered warm by three or four coats, 

 and the sides have never less than two. When she has done this, 

 she fills it up with honey and pollen to the height of about half an 

 inch ; then, after having laid an egg, she wraps over the poppy 

 lining, so that even the roof may be of this material, and lastly 

 closes its mouth with a small hillock of earth. The depth of the 

 cell is singular, for only half an inch is occupied by the honey and 

 eggs, and the remaining two inches and a half are filled up with 

 earth." 



An account of the mason, leaf-cutter, and other well-known 

 bees was also given. 



The President and Mr. Griffith made some remarks tending to 

 prove that the cells derive their symmetrical form from physical 

 causes, and that the perfection and accui'acy of the bees' work- 

 manship is not due to any special mental powers. 



Thursday, May 2lst, 1868. 



The Forty-fourth Meeting of the Society was held at Mr. Griffith's 

 House. 



Edwards was elected a member. 



The Exhibitions were : — 



A Skull dug up at Northcourt, near Abingdon ; SkuUs and Vertebrae of 

 Mammals and Birds ; a Pocket Level, designed by Mr. F. Galton ; 

 a Magneto-Electric Instrument by Ladd . . By Me. Griffith. 



An "Ordeal" Bean from Calabar . . . . By Me. Fahrae. 



A Stone, originally cracked, with the interstices filled with crystals ; a 

 Flint, with fossil shell inside ., .. By Bashford. 



Murray then read a paper on Flint Instruments. 



