380 THE STORY-BOOK OF SCIENCE 



laid by the queen. There are, then, two bodies of 

 workers to be distinguished : the wax-bees, younger, 

 which make wax and gather the materials for honey ; 

 the nurses, older, which stay at home to bring up the 

 family. These two kinds of workers are not mu- 

 tually exclusive. When young, full of ardor, adven- 

 turous, the bee follows the trade of wax-maker. It 

 goes to the fields, seeking viands, visits the flowers, 

 or sometimes is forced to assert itself and unsheath 

 its sting, to put to flight some evil-intentioned ag- 

 gressor; it sweats wax to make the storehouse and 

 the little rooms where the brood of young ones is 

 kept. Growing older, it gains experience, but loses 

 its first ardor. Then it stays at home, turns nurse, 

 and occupies itself with the delicate task of rearing 

 the young. ' ' 



This preamble of Uncle Paul's, defining the three 

 industrial classes of the bees, appeared to interest 

 the children greatly, and they were surprised to find 

 that insects have such marvelously elaborate social 

 laws. At the very first opportunity Jules began 

 questioning his uncle. The impatient child wanted 

 to know everything at once. 



' ' You say the wax-bees make wax. I thought they 

 found it ready-made in flowers." 



"They do not find it ready-made. They make it, 

 sweat it, that is the word, as the oyster sweats the 

 stone of his shell, as the meleagrina sweats the sub- 

 stance of its mother-of-pearl and its pearls. 



"If you look closely at a bee's stomach, you will 

 see it is composed of several pieces or rings fitting 

 into each other. The stomach of all insects has, 



