242 OF FOOD AND THE DIGESTIVE PROCESS. 



unusual wants of the system, those wants being the result of an extra- 

 ordinary activity in the processes of growth, and being traceable rather 

 to the properties inherent in the system, than to any external agencies. 

 Thus we not unfrequently hear of children, who have attained an extra- 

 ordinary size at the age of a few years ; and this excess of size is usually 

 accompanied with other marks of precocious development. We shall 

 hereafter see, that a provision exists in the Digestive apparatus, which 

 absolutely prevents the reduction and preparation of the food, in any 

 amount greatly surpassing that which the wants of the system demand 

 ( 474) j a nd it is probably to this cause, in part, that we are to attri- 

 bute the small degree of influence exerted by an excess of food, in pro- 

 ducing an increased development of the Animal frame. 



418. The influence of a diminished supply of food, in producing a 

 marked inferiority in the size of Animals, is most effectually exerted 

 during those early periods of growth, in which the condition of the 

 system is most purely Vegetative. Thus it is well known to Entomo- 

 logists, that, whilst it is rare to find Insects departing widely from the 

 average size on the side of excess, dwarf-individuals, possessing only 

 half the usual dimensions, or even less, are not uncommon; and there 

 can be little doubt that these have suffered from a diminished supply 

 of nutriment during their larva state. This variatioh is most apt to 

 present itself in the very large species of Beetles, which pass several 

 years in the larva state ; and such dwarf specimens have even been 

 ranked as sub-species. Abstinence has been observed to produce the 

 effect, upon some Caterpillars, of diminishing the number of moults and 

 accelerating the transformation ; in such cases, the Chrysalis is more 

 delicate, and the size of the perfect Insect much below the average. 



419. One of the most remarkable examples known, of the effect of 

 food in modifying the development of Animals, is to be found in the 

 economy of the Hive-Bee. In every community, the majority of indi- 

 viduals consists of neuters ; which may be regarded as females, having 

 the organs of the female sex undeveloped ; and which, whilst incapable 

 of reproduction, perform all the labours of the hive. The office of con- 

 tinuing the race is restricted to the queen ; who is the only perfect 

 female in the community. If by any accident the queen be destroyed, 

 or if she be purposely removed for the sake of experiment, the bees 

 choose two or three from amongst the neuter larvce, which are being 

 nurtured in their appropriate cells ; and these they cause to be developed 

 into perfect queens. The first operation is to change the cells in which 

 they lie into royal cells ; these differ considerably from the ordinary ones 

 in form, and are of much larger dimensions. This is accomplished by 

 breaking down the walls of the surrounding cells, removing the eggs 

 or grubs they may contain, and rebuilding the central cell upon an en- 

 larged scale, and upon the same plan as the royal cells in which the 

 queens are ordinarily reared. Whilst this operation is going on, the 

 maggot is supplied with food of a very different nature from the farina 

 or bee-bread (composed of a mixture of pollen and honey), which has 

 been stored up for the nourishment of the workers ; this food being of a 

 jelly-like consistence and pungent stimulating character. After the 

 usual transformations, the grub becomes a perfect queen ; differing from 



