MAECH. 75 



their appearance too soon, the workers remove a portion of 

 wax from the cell ; making it sufficiently thin to be seen 

 through ; and when the prisoner is ready to free herself, 

 and lias cut through the cocoon, they fasten up the cleft 

 with wax, and prevent her egress ; upon this, she emits a 

 distinct humming sound, which however excites no pity 

 in her subjects, though they feed her with honey when she 

 puts out her tongue for that purpose. At the proper time 

 she is released, and leads the swarm which is then ready for 

 her. In the autumn the males are all killed, and even 

 those grubs that would have changed into drones partici- 

 pate in the general doom. 



Volumes have been written, filled with interesting details 

 respecting these useful insects ; and the great difficulty, in a 

 sketch hke the present, consists in selecting from so great 

 a mass of information that which shall interest the reader 

 and make him acquainted with the outline of their history, 

 within the compass to which it is limited, whilst it incites 

 him to search for more abundant details in larger works. 

 The ' Introduction to Entomology,' by Kirby and Spence, 

 gives a very interesting account of the Bee, and from this 

 valuable work many of the above remarks are condensed. 



