VOL. LXXXII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 157 



an eminence ; if we wished to have them transverse, or oblique, it would only be 

 necessary to make transverse, or oblique ridges in the hive. I had one made of 

 2 broad pieces of plate-glass, with glass ends, which answered for simple exposure 

 very well ; but I often saw operations going on, when I wished to have caught 

 some of the bees, or to take out a piece of comb, &c. ; therefore I had hives 

 made of the same shape and size, but with different panes of glass, each pane 

 opening with hinges, so that if I saw any thing going on that I wished to examine 

 more minutely or immediately, I opened the pane at this part, and executed what 

 I wished, as much as was in my power ; this I was obliged to do with great 

 caution, as often the comb was fastened to the glass at this part. When I saw 

 some operations going on, the dates or periods of which I wished to ascertain, 

 such as the time of laying eggs, of hatching, &c. I made a little dot with white 

 paint opposite to the cell where the egg was laid, and set down the date. 



From these animals forming colonies, and from a vast variety of effects being 

 produced, and with a degree of attention and nicety, that seem even to vie 

 with man ; man, not being in the least jealous, has wished to bestow on them 

 more than they possess, viz. a reasoning faculty ; while every action is only in- 

 stinctive, and what they cannot avoid or alter, except from necessity, not from 

 fancy. They have been supposed to be legislators, even mathematicians: indeed, 

 on a superficial view, there is some show of reason for such suppositions ; but 

 people have gone much further, and have filled up from their imagination every 

 blank, but in so unnatural a way, that one reads it as if it were the description 

 of a monster. Probably the best way of treating the history of this insect, is 

 only to describe what is, and the reader will immediately see where authors have 

 been inventing ; however, there are some assertions that should be particularly 

 taken notice of, such as forming queen bees at pleasure. 



Countries that have but little variety in their seasons may have insects whose 

 economy is well adapted to this uniformity, and which would not be suited to a 

 climate whose seasons are very different ; for insects of countries whose seasons 

 are strongly marked, as in this, have a period in their life which it is little in our 

 power to investigate, and can scarcely be discovered but by accident, for experi- 

 ments often give little assistance ; therefore we are obliged to fill up this blank by 

 reasoning, and from analogy, where we have any. This period is principally the 

 winter, in those insects which live through that season. Animals of season are 

 somewhat like most vegetables ; while the common bee is only an animal of sea- 

 sons in the common actions of life, or what may be called its voluntary actions, 

 and therefore is somewhat like the human species, suited to every country ; which 

 may be the reason why it is so universal an animal, for I believe bees are one of 

 the most universal animals known : yet this may arise from cultivation, in conse- 



