iS^ tHE PHILOSOPHY 



qualnted with lime, but fhe pofTefTes an equivalent in her oWri 

 body. From her mouth Ihe throws out a vifcid liquor, with 

 which fhe moiftens the firft grain pitched upon. To this 

 grain fhe cements a fecond, which fhe moiftens in the fame 

 manner, and to the former two fhe attaches a third, and {o 

 on, till flie has formed a mafs as large as the fhot ufually em-* 

 ployed to kill hares. This mafs (he carries off in her teeth 

 to the place fhe had chofen for ereding her nefl, and makes 

 k the foundation of the firft cell. In this manner flie la- 

 hours incefTantly till the whole celk are completed, a work 

 tvhich is generaHy accompli fhed in five or fix days. All the 

 cells are fimilar, and nearly equal in dimenxions. Before 

 they are covered, their iigure refembles that of a thimble. 

 She never begins to make a fecond till the firft be finifliedi 

 £ach cell is about an inch high, and nearly half an inch in dia- 

 meter. But the labour of building is not the only one this 

 female bee has to undergo. When a cell has been raifed to 

 5ne half or two thirds of its height, another occupation com- 

 mences. She feems to know the quantity of food that will 

 be neceffary to nourifh the young that is to proceed from the 

 Ibgg, from its exclufion till it acquires its full growth, and paf** 

 fes into the chryfaliis flate. The food which is prepared for 

 the fupport of the young worm confifts of the farina or pow- 

 der of flowers, diluted with honey, which forms a kind of 

 pap. Before the cell is entirely finlfhed, the mafon-bee col- 

 lects from the flowers, and depofits in the cell, a large quan- 

 tity of farina, and afterwards difgorges upon it as much 

 honey as dilutes it, aud forms it into a kind of pafle, or fyrup. 

 When this operation is performed, fhe completes her cell, 

 Jmd, after depofiting an egg in it, covers the mouth of it with 

 the fame mortar fhe ufes in building her neft. The egg is 

 now inclofed on all fides in a walled habitation hermetically 

 fealed. A fmall quantity of air, however, gets admiffion to 

 the worm, otherwife it could not exift. Reaumur difcovered 



