BRANCH ARTHROPODA; CLASS INSECT A : THE INSECTS 219 



sisting of flower-pollen and nectar, care for the young 

 bees, fight off intruders, and in fact perform all the many 

 labors and industries of the community except those of 

 reproduction. There is a certain not very well understood 

 and perhaps not very sharply defined division of these 

 labors among the worker individuals, the younger ones 

 acting specially as " nurses," feeding and caring for the 

 young bees (larvae and pupae), the older ones making the 

 food-gathering expeditions. The queen lays her eggs one 

 in each of many cells (fig. 81). These eggs hatch in three 

 days, and the young bee appears as a white, soft, footless, 

 helpless grub or larva that is fed at first by the nurses with 



FIG. 81. Worker brood and queen cells of honey-bee ; beginning at the 

 right end of upper row of cells and going to the left is a series of egg, 

 young larvae, old larvae, pupa, and adult ready to issue ; the large 

 curving cells below are queen cells. (From Benton.) 



a highly nutritious substance called bee-jelly which the 

 nurses make in their stomachs and regurgitate for the 

 larva. After two or three days of this feeding the larvae 

 are fed pollen and honey. After a few days a small mass 

 of this food is put into the cell, which is then " capped " 

 or covered with wax. The larva after using up this food- 

 supply pupates, and lies quiescent in the pupal stage for 



