280 NATURAL HISTORY. 



are made larger than the rest. Those that contain eggs 

 from which Queens are to come are made much larger 

 than any others, and of a different shape, as seen in Fig. 

 217. If left to themselves, the Bees 

 select the hollow of an old tree as 

 the place to build their comb, but 

 they readily go into the hives pro- 

 vided for them by man. The comb 

 3U8 ' is made of wax, which is secreted 

 from the body of the Bee, and appears in scales between 

 the segments. This, with their mandibles, they mould, 

 and apply it in the construction of the comb. The first 

 swarm from a hive is led by the old Queen. Then there 

 are successive swarms led by the young Queens. When 

 the hive is sufficiently relieved of its surplus population, 

 the Queens that remain fight till all are killed but one, 

 and she takes possession of the throne. When the Bees 

 lose their Queen, they, by a curious process, fill the va- 

 cant throne. They select some one of the larvae which 

 are to be Workers, and, enlarging its cell by the removal 

 of the walls of the neighboring cells, thus make for it a 

 suitably large royal apartment. They then feed it with 

 the royal jelly, which is the exclusive food of the Queen- 

 larvae, and, in due time, this larva, originally destined to 

 be a worker, comes forth a queen. 



Questions. What is said of the wings of the Hymenoptera ? What 

 peculiarity is there in the females ? What is said of the instinct of 

 the Hymenoptera ? What is said of their metamorphosis ? What 

 of their larvae ? What is said of the size of the Hymenoptera? Of 

 their number? Of their habits? Of their usefulness to man? 

 What are the two groups of this order ? What is said of the Gall- 

 flies ? What of the Oak-galls ? What of the gall of the wild rose ? 

 What are the peculiarities of the Ichneumon family ? What is stated 

 of those which have short ovipositors ? What is said of the Chrysi- 

 didse ? What of the Saw-flies ? What are the families of the acu- 

 leate group of the Hymenoptera? What is said of the Sand and 

 Wood Wasps ? What of the Mud-wasp ? What of the Vespidae ? 

 What is the arrangement of the nest of the social Wasp ? Describe 

 the Ant communities. What is said of the neuters in some species ? 



