LIFE IN THE INSECT WORLD. 147 



a suitable place in the centre of one of the slips 

 of wood, removed a scale of wax with its claw, 

 and drawing it backward and forward through 

 its mandibles, and using its tongue as a trowel, 

 it moulded it to its liking and fastened it to the 

 wood. It then drew out another which it pre- 

 pared in the same manner ; and when it had 

 removed them all it quietly walked off, leaving 

 its companions to carry on the work it had be- 

 gun. A second and third followed in succession, 

 but by this time other workers had so crowded 

 in front of the little builders that the naturalist 

 could not see their further operations. 



But he was too persevering to be easily dis- 

 couraged ; so he placed another swarm in a 

 hive, in the bottom of which he put several 

 large pieces of honey comb, the cells of some 

 containing honey, and others grubs. He glued 

 several thin strips of wood across the lower part 

 of the hive a few inches above the combs ; 

 thinking he would have a better opportunity of 

 seeing the bees at work if they built upward 

 from the bottom, instead of downward from the 

 top of the hive. This experiment succeeded 

 completely. The nurse bees immediately dis- 



