196 THE UNIVERSE. 



entire length, the artisan occupies itself in sheltering its 

 offspring in it. For this purpose it divides the groove into 

 as many little chambers as it is about to deposit eggs. 

 Each of these chambers receives one egg only, and before 

 closing it hermetically the bee stores up a mass of honey 

 and pollen which will suffice for all the wants of the larva 

 that is to be born there. After this, the skilful carpenter, 



98. Carpenter-Bee and its Chambers for its Young. 



by means of finely-rasped wood agglutinated with its saliva, 

 constructs a slender partition, which separates each one 

 from that next to it. In the long excavation which it has 

 hollowed out, the insect thus forms a dozen little cells, 

 which are stuffed with alimentary pap. 



When the little creature is born, it finds itself sufficiently 

 restricted as to space, but in proportion as its food dimin- 



