Carder-Bees. 77 



On removing a portion of the dome and bringing the 

 interior of the structure into view, we find little of the 

 architectural regularity so conspicuous in the combs of a 

 common bee-hive : instead of this symmetry, there are only a 

 few egg-shaped, dark-coloured cells, placed somewhat irregu- 

 larly, but approaching more to the horizontal than to the 

 vertical position, and connected together with small amor- 

 phous* columns of brown wax. Sometimes there are two or 

 three of these oval cells placed one above another, without 

 anything to unite them. 



These cells are not, however, 1 the workmanship of the 

 old bees, but of their young grubs, who spin them when 

 they are about to change into nymphs. But, from these 

 cases, when they are spun, the enclosed insects have no 

 means of escaping, and they depend for their liberation 

 on the old bees gnawing off the covering, as is done also 

 by ants in the same circumstances. The instinct with 

 which they know the precise time when it is proper to 

 do this is truly wonderful. It is no less so, that these 

 cocoons are by no means useless when thus untenanted, 

 for they subsequently serve for honey-pots, and are indeed 

 the only store-cells in the nest. For this purpose the edge 

 of the cell is repaired and strengthened with a ring of wax. 



The true breeding-cells are contained in several amor- 

 phous masses of brown-coloured wax, varying in dimensions, 



Breeding-Cells. 



but of a somewhat flat and globular shape. On opening any 

 of these, a number of eggs or grubs are found, on whose 



* Shapeless. 



