SIE JOHN LTJBBOCK ON BEES, WASPS, AND ANTS. 231 



and whlcli throws some light on the intellectual faculties of these 

 animals. A set of forty- seven cells had been filled, eight on a 

 nearly completed comb, thirty-five on the following, and four 

 around the first cell of a new comb. "When the queen had laid 

 eggs in all the cells of the two older combs she went several times 

 round their circumference (as she always does, in order to ascer- 

 tain whether she has not forgotten any cell), and then prepared 

 to retreat into the lower part of the breeding-room. Eut as she 

 had overlooked the four cells of the new comb, the workers ran 

 impatiently from this part to the queen, pushing her, in an odd 

 manner, with their heads, as they did also other workers they 

 met with. In consequence the queen began again to go around 

 on the two older combs ; but as she did not find any cell wanting 

 an egg she tried to descend, but everywhere she was pushed back 

 by the workers. This contest lasted for a rather long while, till 

 the queen escaped without having completed her work. Thus 

 the workers knew how to advise the queen that something was 

 as yet to be done, but they knew not how to show her wTiere it 

 had to be done." 



I have already mentioned with reference to the attachment 

 which bees have been said to show for one another, that though 

 I have repeatedly seen them lick a bee which had smeared herself 

 in honey, I never observed them show the slightest attention to 

 any of their comrades who had been drowned in water. Far, 

 indeed, from having been able to discover any evidence of affec- 

 tion among them, they appear to be thoroughly callous and utterly 

 indifierent to one another. As already mentioned, it was neces- 

 sary for me occasionally to kill a bee ; but I never found that the 

 others took the slightest notice. Thus on the 11th of October 

 I crushed a bee close to one which was feeding — in fact, so close 

 that their wings touched ; yet the survivor took no notice what- 

 ever of the death of her sister, but went on feeding with every 

 appearance of composure and enjoyment, just as if nothing had 

 happened. When the pressure was removed, she remained by 

 the side of the corpse without the slightest appearance of appre- 

 hension, sorrow, or recognition. It was, of course, impossible for 

 her to understand my reason for killing her companion ; yet neither 

 did she feel the slightest emotion at her sister's death, nor did 

 she show any alarm lest the same fate should befall her also. In 

 a second case exactly the same occurred. Again, I have several 

 times, while a bee has been feeding, held a second bee by the leg 



