APIS. 



Having completed this lining, they cast 

 off, or rather shove off, from the head 

 backwards, the last maggot coat, which 

 is deposited at the bottom of the cell, und 

 then they become chrysalises. 



" In this state they are forming them- 

 selves for a new life : they are either en- 

 tirely new built, or wonderfully changed, 

 tor there is not the smallest vestige of the 

 old form remaining; yet it must be the 

 same materials,for now nothing is taken in. 

 How far this change is only the old parts 

 new modelled, or gradually altering their 

 form, is not easily determined. To bring 

 about the change, many parts must be re- 

 moved, out of which the new ones are 

 probably formed. As bees are not dif- 

 ferent in this state from the common fly- 

 ing insects in general, 1 shall not pursue 

 the subject of their changes further, al- 

 though it makes a very material part in 

 the natural history of insects. 



" When the crysalis is formed into the 

 complete bee, it then destroys the cover- 

 ing of its cell and comes forth. They are 

 of a greyish colour, but soon turn brown. 



" When the swarm of which I have 

 hitherto been giving the history has come 

 off early, and is a large one, more espe- 

 cially if it was put into too small a hive, 

 it often breeds too many for the hive to 

 keep through the winter ; and in such 

 case a new swarm .is thrown off, which, 

 however, is commonly not a large one, 

 and generally has too little time to com- 

 plete its comb, and store it with honey 

 sufficient to preserve them through the 

 winter. This is similar to the second or 

 third swarm of the old hives. 



" 1 have already observed, that the new 

 colony immediately sets about the increase 

 of their numbers, and every thing rela- 

 ting to it. They had their apartments to 

 build, both for the purpose of breeding, 

 and as a store-house for provisions for the 

 winter. When the season for laying eggs 

 is over, then is the season for collecting 

 honey ; therefore, when the last chrysalis 

 for tlie season comes forth, its cell is im- 

 mediately filled with honey ; and as soon 

 as the cell is full, it is covered over with 

 pure wax, as it is to be considered as store 

 for the winter. This covering answers two 

 very essential purposes: one is to keep it 

 from spilling, or daubing the bees ; the 

 other to prevent its evaporation, by 

 which means it is kept fluid in such a 

 warmth. They are also employed in lay- 

 ing up a store of bee-bread for the young 

 maggots in the spring, for they begin to 

 bring forth much earlier than probably 

 any other insect, because they retain a 



summer heat, and store up food for the 

 young. 



" In the month of August we may sup- 

 pose the queen, or queens, are impregna- 

 ted by the males ; and as the mules do not 

 provide for themselves, they become bur- 

 densome to the workers, and are therefore 

 teased to death much sooner than they 

 otherwise would die ; and when the bees 

 set about this business of providing their 

 winter store, every operation is over, ex- 

 cept the collecting of honey and bee- 

 bread. At this time it would seem as it* 

 the males were conscious of their danger, 

 for they do not rest in the mouth of the 

 hive, in either going out or coming in, but 

 hurry either in or out : however, they are 

 commonly attacked by one, two, or three 

 at a time : they seem to make no resist- 

 ance, only getting away as fast as possible. 

 The labourers do not sting them, only 

 pinch them, and pull them about as if 

 to wear them out ; but I suspect it may- 

 be called as much a natural as a violent 

 death. 



" When the young are wholly come 

 forth, and either the cells entirely filled, 

 or no more honey to be collected, then is 

 the time or season for remaining in their 

 hives for the winter. 



"Although I have now completed a 

 hive, and no operations are going on in 

 the winter months, yet the history of this 

 hive is imperfect till it sends forth a new 

 swarm. 



" As the common bee is very suscepti- 

 ble of cold, we find, as soon as the cold 

 weather sets in, they become very quiet 

 or still, and remain so throughout the 

 winter, living on the produce of the sum- 

 mer und autumn ; and, indeed, a cold day 

 in the summer is sufficient to keep them 

 at home, more so than a shower in a warm 

 day : ami if the hive is thin and much ex- 

 posed, they will hardly move in it, but get 

 as close together as the comb will let 

 them, into a cluster. In this manner they 

 appear to live through the winter : how- 

 ever, in a fine day they become very lively 

 and active, going abroad, and appearing 

 to enjoy it, at which time they get rid of 

 their excrement : for I fancy they sel- 

 dom throw out their excrement when in 

 the hive. 



" Their life at this season of the year is 

 more uniform, and may be termed simple 

 existence, till the warm weather arrives 

 again. As they now subsist on their sum- 

 mer's industry, they would seem to feed 

 in proportion to the coldness of the sea- 

 son; for, from experiment, I found the hive 

 grow lighter in a cold week than it did in 



