HISTORY AND PHYSIOLOGY. 



it which was occupied by brood, the surrounding 

 part of the square being full of sealed honey. 



The eggs of bees are of a lengthened oval shape, 

 with a slight curvature, and of a blueish white 

 colour : they are composed of a thin membrane, 

 filled with a whitish liquor, and being besmeared, 

 at the time of laying, with a glutinous substance, 

 they adhere to the bases of the cells, where they 

 stand upright, and remain unchanged in figure or 

 situation for four days ; they are then hatched, 

 the bottom of each cell presenting to view a small 

 white worm or maggot, with several ventral rings. 

 On its growing, so as to touch the opposite angle 

 of the cell, it coils itself up in the shape of a semi- 

 circle, and floats in a whitish transparent fluid, by 

 which it is probably nourished and enlarged in its 

 dimensions, till the two extremities touch one an- 

 other and form a ring. In this state it obtains indif- 

 ferently the name of worm, larva, maggot or grub, 

 and is fed with farina or bee-bread, to receive the 



B5 



