98 



KNOWLEDGE. 



[May 2, 189g. 



opening at the sides. Sometimes she places an additional 

 thickness both at the bottom and at the sides. The cell 

 now is ready for the " pudding," and the bee goes out 

 to gather the ingredients from the flowers — notably 



Fig. 15, — Second Side-piece fiied. 



those of the campanula. Having filled her reservoir with 

 nectar and covered her body with pollen, she flies off to 

 her burrow, and quickly divests herself of her load. 

 Carefully brushing the pollen from her abdomen, and 

 ejecting the nectar from her honey stomach, she proceeds 

 to mix the two into a " pudding," to the best of her ability, 

 30 that it will not disagree with the stomachs of her 



Fig. 16.— Third Side-piece fixed. 



progeny. Many journeys are made before a sufiicient 

 supply is collected, and the cell filled to within a certain 

 distance of the top. When this point is reached, the bee 

 lays a single egg on the top of the pudding (Fig. 19 j. Having 

 taken so much trouble to build up this wonderful cell, it 

 is not surprising to find that she next proceeds to protect 

 her property. She makes another journey to the bush, 

 and cuts out a circular piece of leaf, which she fits into 

 the cell so carefully that it does not press upon the delicate 

 egg ; and, to make assurance doubly sure, she not un- 

 frequently places as many as a dozen of these circular 

 covers superposed on each other, a short space being left 

 from the last cover to the top edge. As soon as this first 

 cell is finished and sealed up, she proceeds to buUd the 

 second, the end of which fits into the first (Figs. 20 and 21). 



i'lG. 17. — Foui'tli Side-piece fixed. 



In this way the industrious bee continues her work as 

 long as the sun continues to shine, until she has placed 

 from nine to a dozen cells in her burrow, the entrance to 

 which is then carefully closed with sand ; a few broken bits 

 of dead leaves and heather bells are scattered about, and 



no trace is left. Should the weather continue bright, the 

 bee sinks another burrow, which she fills with cells, and 

 sometimes she will make others before her energies are 

 exhausted. 



Other marvellous work lies hidden under the sand, but 

 nature is carrying on her transformations. The eggs hatch 

 into legless maggots, that find their food ready to their 

 mouths (Fig. 22); a few weeks of such sweet food brings them 

 to full growth, and they are ready for their next change — 

 the chrysalis. Before that stage is reached, however, they 



spin themselves a silken shroud, and fastening the silk to 

 the sides and ends they turn themselves round and rest 

 upon their backs, with their heads pointing to the entrance 

 of the burrow (Fig. 23). In this position they assume the 

 chrysalis stage, in which they remain for at least a month. 

 During this time the changes of colour and gradual forma- 



FlG. 19 Section of First Cell, -bowing Pudding and Egg. 



tion of the bee may be watched. At first there is but little 

 difference in the form, but in a week the limbs are all 

 plainly visible. The eyes and mandibles then begin to 

 assume distinct shape and colour, and the various parts of 

 the delicate tongue can be traced out under the membrane 

 which encloses the whole of the body. In a fortnight the 



joints appear and then the hairs on various parts, and in 

 a month's time the bee appears quite ready to burst 

 through its delicate shroud. This generally happens in 

 early morning, and is a sight to be remembered. After 

 brushing each organ, and pluming each wonderful hair, 

 the bee is ready for its virgin flight. Occasionally the bees 

 are matured some time before they emerge in June. 



It is a remarkable fact that the eggs laid first in the 

 lower cells produce females, which take some days longer 



