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the earth, whose industry is much more remarkable^ 

 They do not content themselves, like the others, with 

 an entire naked cavity. On visiting the inside of the 

 lodge, immediately after its construction, we are agree- 

 ably surprised to see it hung quite round with tapes- 

 try, of the most beautiful crimson satin, affixed to the 

 sides, as our tapestry is to the wails of our apart- 

 ments, but with much more propriety. The bee does 

 nol only line i this manner the whole inside of her 

 dwelling; but also spreads the same kind of tapes- 

 try round the entrance, to the distance of two or' 

 three lines. We have observed many Caterpillars that 

 line the inside of their cone or inclosure with silk : 

 our bee is the only insect at present known which, 

 properly speaking, hangs her nest with tapestry, as 

 we do our apartments. It is, therefore, with good 

 reason that this industrious animal has received the 

 name of the tapestry-bee. 



You seem at a loss to know from whence she pro- 

 cures the rich tapestry. Look at the flowers of this 

 wild-poppy, which are newly blown ; observe that they 

 are slopeu here and there. Compare them with the 

 tapestry whose tissue you are desirous of knowing ; you 

 cau find no difference between them: this tapestry is 

 no other than the fragments of the flowers of the wild- 

 poppy ; and that is the secret origin of those slopings 

 you remark on the poppies that border upon the nest. 

 Your curiosity is itot yet satisfied ; you are desirous of 

 observing a little the labour of our skilful worker in 

 tapestry. 



The hole which she digs perpendicularly into the 

 earth, is about three inches in depth : it is exactly cy- 

 liadrical, as far as to seven or eight lines of the bottom. 

 There it begins to open wider, which it does more and 

 nnore. When the bee has made an end of giving it the 

 suitable proportions, she proceeds to line it with the 

 tapestry. 



With this view, she applies herself to cutting, with 

 abundance of art, pieces of petals,* of an oval form, 

 * This is the name given by botanists to the leaves of flowsrs, 

 N 3 



