A NEST IN MY STUDY 243 



pot and took a long draught. All the workers that 

 approached her seemed interested in her, waving 

 their antennae in her direction or touching her, but 

 none attempted to attack her, and they soon seemed 

 to regard her presence as a matter of course ; they 

 also ceased to butt one another and peace was re- 

 stored. The workers showed greater attachment 

 to the new brood than to their own, no doubt 

 because it consisted of pupae in a further advanced 

 stage. The workers from the outdoor nest, four 



o 



tiny ones, were dropped into the nest five minutes 

 later and were well received. 



July 23. The returning workers sweep in 

 through the window and descend almost to the 

 floor, then they make a "bee line" for their table, 

 seeing which they rise and in nine cases out of ten 

 at once alight and run into the nest. 



July 31. The workers, which now number about 

 twenty, have been lately busy forming a waxen 

 covering over the nest. During the night 1^ 

 square inches of this were constructed. 



August 2. When a worker flew to the window 

 and found it closed it had the good sense to fly 

 back again to the nest. 



When the nest was accidentally jarred or 

 breathed upon there was a tremendous buzzing, 

 that of the queen being the loudest and longest 

 continued. At the same time a number of the 

 workers ran out of the nest. When the com- 

 motion subsided these workers were in no hurry 

 to return to the nest, but stood for a long time 



