244 THE BEE NATION. 



to cover the cells with a waxen roof when a larva begins to 

 spin its cocoon, and later to reopen it to free the imago. 

 When this is done, the soft silky cocoon is either pulled out 

 or else firmly fastened like a tapestry to the interior of the 

 cell ; the cell itself is carefully cleaned and smoothed, so 

 that it may, according to circumstances, serve either for a 

 new egg or for honey. According to Huber the working- 

 bees, as a rule, remain three days in the egg and five days 

 as larvse. After this lapse of time the bees close their cells 

 with a covering of wax, while the larva? begin to spin their 

 silken shirts, taking thirty-six hours to complete their task. 

 Three days later they change into a so-called nympha, and 

 remain for seven or eight days in this condition : on the 

 twentieth day they reach the imago condition, reckoning from 

 the day on which the egg was laid. Their further develop- 

 ment, if there is such, proceeds very rapidly, and is completed 

 in a few days. The development of the queen, owing to her t 

 better food, is rather more rapid ; that of the drones some- 

 what slower. 



Just as with the nursery cells, the house bees have to close 

 with wax the provision cells, or store-rooms, when they are 

 filled with honey, so as to prevent it from running out. The 

 more the cells are filled with honey, the more carefully do 

 the bees prevent any outflow by gradually pulling the 

 wax covering from the edges of the cell over the opening, 

 and closing it in the middle as soon as the cell is completely 

 filled. As these stores serve for food during the winter 

 season, it is strictly forbidden to open them, and only in 

 cases of extreme need, when honey is nowhere else to be 

 found, are the wax coverings raised. During the foraging 

 season, on the contrary, when food enough comes in from 

 without, they are never opened. Other cells, always stand- 

 ing open, serve the bees for daily use, but no bees take more 

 from them than is necessary for the satisfaction of their 

 immediate need. The intemperance so customary among 

 men as regards eating and drinking, which subserves exces- 

 sive enjoyment and not necessity, is normally unknown to 

 this exemplary creature, although, as we shall find later, the 

 vices of gluttony and drunkenness lead many of them to 

 destruction under special circumstances. 



The preparation of the honey itself is entrusted to the 

 house-bees, while the foraging bees only collect outside, 



