Bramble-bees and Others 



through the aperture between the two rooms : 

 the one above goes down to the floor below; 

 the one below goes up to the floor above; 

 sometimes both of them are in the same cell 

 together. Might not this intercourse tend to 

 cheer them and encourage them to patience? 

 IVleanwhile, slowly, doors are opening here 

 and there through the separating walls; the 

 road is cleared by sections; and a moment ar- 

 rives when the leader of the file walks out. 

 The others follow, if ready; but there are al- 

 ways laggards who keep the rear-ranks wait- 

 ing until they are gone. 



. To sum up, first, the hatching of the larvae 

 takes place without any order; secondly, the 

 exodus proceeds regularly from summit to 

 base, but only in consequence of the insect's 

 inability to move forward so long as the up- 

 per cells are not vacated. We have here not 

 an exceptional evolution, in the inverse ratio 

 to age, but the simple impossibility of emer- 

 ging otherwise. If the chance occurs of going 

 out before its turn, the insect does not fail to 

 seize it, as we can see by the lateral move- 

 ments which send the impatient ones a few 

 ranks ahead and even release the more fa- 

 voured altogether. The only remarkable 



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