A NEST IN MY STUDY 247 



three eggs were seen in the bottom of the latter. 

 She was now kept busy repelling audacious workers, 

 but often, as on the previous day, when she 

 attempted to follow one, another would seize the 

 opportunity to put its head into the cell, and make 

 a show of devouring the eggs, although the great 

 depth of the cell prevented its doing any injury to 

 them. 



The queen evidently had more eggs to lay, for 

 she did not close up the cell, and the next minute 

 she was laying again. Again she left the cell ; again 

 she laid ; she was very active. At 4.35 when she 

 took another rest there were eight eggs in the cell. 

 During this interval, while the queen was working 

 at the wall with her jaws, a worker plunged its 

 head into the cell riq-ht under her nose. For a 

 moment the queen continued to work as if she 

 had not noticed her, then growing exasperated she 

 seized the worker and pitched it headlong. She 

 laid one or two more eggs, and then, at 4.42, 

 hurriedly sealed the cell over, and commenced 

 guarding it. 



At 8 p.m. the queen was still keeping a close 

 guard over her eggs. A worker occasionally suc- 

 ceeded in making a small hole in the top of the cell, 

 but the queen soon discovered the mischief and 

 repaired it. 



A worker attacking the cell did no harm to the 

 eggs during the first half minute, but merely, as it 

 slowly bit the cell open, made a great fuss which 

 usually attracted the queen. It was only if the 



