396 THE HIVE BEE. 



bed of a whitish-coloured jelly, on which it begins 

 to feed. The common bees then attend with asto- 

 nishing tenderness and anxiety : they furnish it with 

 food, and watch over it with unremitting assiduity. 

 In about six days the grub arrives at its full growth, 

 when its affectionate attendants shut up the mouth 

 of its apartment with wax, to secure it from injury. 

 Thus inclosed, it soon begins to line the walls of 

 its cell with a silken tapestry, in which it undergoes 

 its last transformation. 



When it first crawls forth a winged insect, it is 

 very weak and inactive, but in the course of a few 

 hours it acquires strength enough to fly off" to its 

 labour. On its emerging from the cell, the officious 

 bees flock round it, and lick up its moisture with 

 their tongues. One party bring honey for it to feed 

 upon ; and another is employed in cleansing the cell, 

 and carrying out the filth to prepare this for a new 

 inhabitant. 



The neuter bees in a hive amount to the number 

 of 16,000 or 18,000. These are armed with stings, 

 and form the only labouring part of the community. 

 It is pleasant to see them in the act of collecting the 

 farina of flowers for the basis of their wax. They 

 roll themselves over the stamina, the dust of which 

 adheres to their hairs ; then, bringing their feet over 

 their bodies, they fill with it two small baskets 

 or cavities edged with hairs, appended to their hind- 

 legs. As soon as a bee thus laden appears near the 

 hive, others go out to meet it, and, taking the fa- 

 rina from its legs, swallow it ; their stomachs be- 

 ing the laboratory where it is converted into genu- 



