Fig. 76. Hiving a swarm. 



THE BEE. 



ITS CHARACTER AND MANNERS. 



CHAPTEE II. 



35. This fecundity not anomalous. 36. Bee architecture. 37. Social 

 condition of a people indicated by their buildings. 38. This test 

 applied to the bee. 39. Individual and collective habits. 40. 

 Solitary bees. 41. Structure of their nests. 42. Situation of nests. 

 43. Anthidium manicatum. 44. Expedient for keeping nest 

 warm. 45. Clothier bee. 46. Carpenter bee. 47. Mason bee. 48. 

 Expedient to protect the nest. 49. Upholsterer bee. 50. Hang- 

 ings and carpets of her rooms. 51. Leaf-cutter bees. 52. Method 

 of making their nest. 53. Process of cutting the leaves. 54. Hive- 

 bee. 55. Structure of the comb. 56. Double layer of cells. 57. 

 Pyramidal bases. 58. Illustrative figures. 59. Single cells. 60. 

 Combination of cells. 61. Great advantages of hexagonal form. 62. 

 Economy of space and material. 63. Solidity of structure. 64. Geome- 

 trical problem of the comb solved. 65. Expedient to secure the sides 

 and bases of the cells. 



35. The prodigious fecundity of the queen of the bees is by no 

 means an anomaly in the insect world. The female of the white 

 ants produces eggs at the rate of one per second, or 3600 per hour, 

 or 86400 per day. Now, although this insect certainly does not 



LARDNER'S MUSEUM OF SCIENCE. c 17 



No. 19. 



