BEE 



transition is established between the small-sized 

 ordinary cells and the larger ones, or vice versa, the 

 bases of the connecting cells being composed of two 

 rhombs and two hexagons, instead of three rhombs ; 

 the rhombs and hexagons varying in form and relative 

 proportions until the required size is obtained. 



Although the general form of the cells is hexagonal 

 that of those first begun is pe::ta<jonal, the side next 

 the top of the hive, and by which the corr.b is attached, 

 being much broader than the rest ; whence the comb 

 is more strongly united to the hive than if their cells 

 were of the ordinary shape. It of course follows, that 

 the base of these cells, instead of being formed, like 

 those of the hexagonal cells, of three rhomboids, con- 

 sists of one rhomboid and two trapeziums. 



The bees, observe Messrs. Kirby and Spence, 

 appear to give the proper forms to the bottoms of the 

 cells by means of their antennae, which extraordinary 

 organs, they seem to employ as directors, by which 

 their other instruments are instructed to execute their 

 very complex work. They do not remove a single 

 particle of wax until the antennae have explored the 

 surface that is to be sculptured. By the use of these 

 organs which are so flexible and so readily applied to 

 all parts, however delicate, that they can perform the 

 functions of compasses in measuring very minute 

 objects, they can work in the dark, and raise those 

 wonderful combs, the first productions of insects. 



The diameters of the cells, intended for the larvae 

 of the workers, is always two lines and two-thirds, 

 that of those meant for the larvae of the males or 

 drones three lines and one-third. It appears to be 

 the oviposition of the queen which decides the kind 

 of cells that are to be made, as whilst she lays the 

 eggs of workers, no male cells are constructed, but 

 when she is about to lay the eggs of males, the neuters 

 appear to know it and act accordingly. 



The queen deposits her eggs separately in the 

 bottom of each cell; the egg is of a lengthened oval 

 shape, with a slight curve, and of a bluish colour; when 

 laid it is covered with a glutinous matter, which enables 

 it to adhere to the bottom of the cell, where it remains 

 for four days. The workers' eggs, which are the only 

 ones laid by the queen during the first eleven months, 

 hatch in a few days and become little white maggots, 

 which, as they grow, assume a curved position, till 

 the two extremities touch one another and form a ring. 

 Each is now fed with bee-bread by the workers very 

 assiduously, and at the expiration of six days, having 

 attained its full size, it is roofed in by the workers, 

 spins a silken cocoon, which occupies it for thirty-six 

 hours, and then becomes a nymph or pupa ; and at 

 the further expiration of eleven days, the insect quits 

 the exuviae of the pupa, eats through the roof of the 

 cell, and comes forth a perfect worker bee. 



The male bee passes three days in the egg state, six 

 and a half in the larvae, and makes its appearance at 

 the further expiration of fifteen days. 



The development of the queen bee requires a more 

 lengthened notice, involving some of the most inter- 

 esting points in the economy of the hive. We have 

 said that for nearly twelve months the queen bee 

 deposits only workers' eggs, after which period, how- 

 ever, she commences laying those of drones. As soon 

 as this change takes place, the workers begin to con- 

 struct royal cells, in which, without discontinuing to 

 lay male eggs, she deposits now and then, about once 

 in three days, an egg destined to produce a future 

 queen. This laying of eggs commonly happens in 



Muy, lasts thirty days, and regularly on the twentieth 

 or twenty-first day, royal cells are founded. The 

 queens pass three days iu the egg state, and five as 

 larvae ; they are then occupied twenty-four hours in 

 forming their cocoons, their cells having been pre- 

 viously closed by the workers. During nearly the 

 whole of the three following days they repose in their 

 cocoons, after w Inch they are transformed to pupae, in 

 which state they remain between four and five days, 

 appearing in the perfect state on the sixteenth dav 

 after the eggs are deposited ; thus a worker, or 

 abortive female requires four more days in which to 

 undergo its preparatory state, than the perfect female, 

 whilst four more days are required for the perfection 

 of the male, than for the workers. The cocoon of the 

 queen, however, is incomplete, covering only the head, 

 thorax, and basal segment of the abdomen, a pecu- 

 liarity probably dependent upon the form of the cell 

 in which she is born, since if a female larvae be placed 

 in a worker's cell, she will spin a complete cocoon, 

 and if a worker be placed in a royal cell it will form 

 an incomplete cocoon. 



The food of the royal grubs has been termed royal 

 jelly. It is a pungent food, prepared by the workers, 

 exclusively for the purpose of feeding such of the 

 grubs as are destined for queens, and is more stimu- 

 lating than the food given to the common grubs, 

 having a perceptibly acescent taste. 



Should it happen, as is sometimes the case, that 

 the queen be killed, or the hive in any other mannei 

 deprived of her, during the first eleven months of her 

 existence, and before she has deposited any royal 

 eggs, the most extraordinary circumstances occur. If 

 such an event takes place amongst the wasps, they 

 are said to become restless and idle, wandering away 

 from the nest, and never returning ; but with the 

 bees it is far different. For twelve hours little 

 notice is taken of the loss ; it appears unknown, and 

 the work of the hive proceeds as usual. Presently 

 a hubbub commences, work is abandoned, the whole 

 hive is in an uproar ; every bee traverses the hive at 

 random, with the most evident want of purpose. This 

 state of confusion sometimes continues for several 

 days ; then the bees gather in knots, clusters of a 

 dozen or so, as though engaged in consultation, shortly 

 after which a resolution appears to have been taken 

 by the whole population. Some of the workers 

 select one of the worker eggs, which had been pre- 

 viously deposited by the lost sovereign. Three cells 

 are thrown into one for its reception, the eggs in the 

 two other cells being destroyed. The grub, when 

 hatched, is fed with royal jelly above described, and 

 a queen is produced. Even .if the grub had been 

 hatched, and partly fed as a worker, and had only 

 received two or three days' allowance of royal food, 

 the result would be the same. They emerge from 

 the pupae perfect queens, whereas had they remained 

 in the cells which they originally inhabited, they 

 would have turned out workers, having their form, 

 instinct, and organs of generation entirely different. 



This is a most extraordinary fact ; but if we consi- 

 der the subject, especially with reference to the worker 

 bees, we must admit that their case is still more extra- 

 ordinary. Its ordinary occurrence, as is too gene- 

 rally the case, taking off its apparent singularity. 



The queen, as we have seen, is a perfect female, 

 the workers imperfect ones. The queen is fed with 

 peculiar food, and comes forth perfect : her food is 

 therefore what we may call naturally perfect food. 



