326 INSTINCTS OF BEES. 



the next above ; thus forming a living ladder, by 

 which the workers were enabled to reach the top, 

 and pursue their favourite plan of commencing 

 their combs there." 



A very striking illustration of the reasoning 

 power of bees occurred to my friend MR. WALOND. 

 Inspecting his bee-boxes at the end of October 

 1817, he perceived that a centre comb, burthened 

 with honey, had separated from its attachments, 

 and was leaning against another comb, so as to 

 prevent the passage of the bees between them. 

 This accident excited great activity in the colony, 

 but its nature could not be ascertained at the time. 

 At the end of a week, the weather being cold and 

 the bees clustered together, Mr. W. observed, 

 through the window of the box, that they had 

 constructed two horizontal pillars betwixt the 

 combs alluded to, and had removed so much of 

 the honey and wax from the top of each, as to 

 allow the passage of a bee : in about ten days 

 more there was an uninterrupted thoroughfare ; 

 the detached comb at its upper part had been 

 secured by a strong barrier and fastened to the 

 window with the spare wax. This being accom- 

 plished, the bees removed the horizontal pillars 

 first constructed, as being of no further use. 

 " During this laborious process," says Mr. W. 

 " the glass window in the box was as warm as I 



