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shared the fate of the first. It was then placed in a sack, such a one as those used by 
farmers or millers, through which they were not long in making their way, although. 
they must have found it tougher work than eating through the handkerchief. The 
sack with its contents was next put into a hamper and tied down. On the third day 
I had an opportunity of sending for it, and on its arrival proceeded to remove the 
different coverings, and make some arrangement for placing the combs contained in 
the nest (which, in consequence of the treatment to which it had been subjected, was 
of course in itself a complete ruin) in a more favourable situation for work than the 
one they then occupied. This was a ticklish piece of work, but somehow or other 
I managed to separate two or three combs from the mass, which I reduced in size with 
a pair of scissors, and running a wire through them placed them inside a small square 
box (Nv. 1 of the series), the combs resting on the bottom of the box and the wire 
reaching from thence to the top: I then fixed the box in the window of a room, 
making an aperture through the back of the box to correspond with one in the window, 
for the purpose of allowing the insects to pass out and in. The front of the box was 
of glass, moveable at pleasure, by means of which I could introduce a constant supply 
of sugar. I now collected together, in the best way I could, the workers belonging to 
the nest, and introduced them into the box; they numbered, I should think, some- 
where about three hundred, and as the box contained only three small pieces of comb 
it was only possible for a limited number to work at them: the consequence was, that 
by far the greater number, after providing themselves with materials, were compelled 
to work wherever they could find room: the wire and all the sides of the box, except 
the glass front, which was frequently being moved, were speedily covered with the 
paper-like fabric, the produce of their labours. The insects were placed in the box on 
a Thursday afternoon, and on the following Saturday the work had proceeded and was 
proceeding so rapidly that I could perceive, if I let them go on till Monday, the box 
would be filled with a mass of work without beauty or design, so I determined upon 
fitting up another box in a somewhat similar way, and causing the insects to pass into 
it from the one they then occupied. I accordingly*cut two or three more pieces of comb, 
and passing a wire through them suspended them inside a box (No. 2 of the series) of 
about the same size as the first, and similar thereto in other respects; then by tapping 
upon and shaking box No. 1, I caused most of the insects to leave it and pass out 
through the aperture in the window into the open air, then, by means of a sliding door, 
preventing their immediate return, I took box No. 1 away, and in its place put box 
No. 2; then, withdrawing the slide, the insects crowded into it and with seeming un- 
concern began working away as before. The combs not resting upon the bottom of 
the box, as in the former case, but being raised an inch or two above it, caused the 
workers to form a structure differing considerably from the first. On the following 
Wednesday the work had become so far advanced that I found it necessary to provide 
the workers with a fresh box; a larger one (No. 3 of the series) was therefore procured, 
and fitted up much in the same way as the last, and the insects were introduced into 
it in the same way as before; in seven days a structure somewhat resembling the last, 
but much larger, was raised, when another box (No. 4 of the series) was procured ; 
this was provided with a moveable wooden back, which, when the building was finished, 
was replaced by one of glass. The box was fitted up in a way quite different from the 
preceding ones: two rows of pillars formed of wire, four in a row, the rows being about 
two inches apart, reaching from the bottom to the top, were placed at regular intervals 
across the box; at the base of each pillar, and also at the top, a small piece of comb 
