348 BRITISH BEES. 



of gelatinous frothy appearance, and upon this the young 

 thrives so rapidly, greedily opening its jaws to receive 

 it, that in four more days it is full grown, and fills the 

 whole cell. The nursing-bees then cover this in with a 

 light brown top, convex externally, and within it the 

 larva spins for itself a cocoon to undergo its subsequent 

 transformations. This cocoon is spun of a fine silk, which 

 issues from the organ of the larva called the spinner, in 

 two delicate threads, which, as they pass out, cohere to- 

 gether. It works at this labour for thirty-six hours, and 

 then changes into the pupa or grub ; thus it lies quiescent 

 for three days, when it gradually undergoes its transfor- 

 mation into the imago, and it issues as a perfect insect 

 about the twenty-first day after being deposited as an 

 egg. The cocoon it has formed exactly fills the cell it 

 has left, which still continues to serve as a brood cell 

 until the succession of cocoons with which it is thus 

 lined renders it too small for the purpose, it is then 

 cleaned out by the scavengers of the hive and changed 

 into a honey depository, but the honey stored in such 

 a cell is never so pure as that which comes from the 

 exclusively waxen cell. Thus is effected the transfor- 

 mation of the working bee, which, upon the very day of 

 its emancipation from its nursery, commences its duties 

 as an active member of the community, in the successive 

 and several labours undertaken for the benefit of the 

 commonwealth, and these it assiduously follows for the 

 period of its natural life, which extends to about six or 

 eight months. 



The hive is now in the liveliest activity. The swarm 

 which entered with the queen, and the large addition 

 to the population which has already been produced 

 from her incessant laying, are all at their several avo- 



