INSTINCTS OF BEES. 888 



Long weak, and helpless, on the fostering breast, 

 In fond dependence leans the infant guest, 

 Till reason ripens what young impulse taught. 

 And builds, on sense, the lofty pile of thought ; 

 From earth, sea, air, the quick perceptions rise. 

 And swell the mental fabric to the skies." 



Evans, 



I shall here narrate a very remarkable instance of sagac- 

 ity which seems to approach as near to human reason, as 

 any thing in the bee which has ever fallen under tny notice. 

 In the year 1851, 1 had a small model hive constructed, into 

 which I temporarily placed a swarm of bees. The partic- 

 ular object which I had in view, was to test the feasibility of 

 some plans which I had recently devised, for facilitating the 

 storing of honey in small tumblers. The bees, in a short 

 time, filled the hive and stored about a dozen glasses with 

 honey. I was called away from them, for a few days, and 

 was much surprised, on my return, to find that the honey 

 which had been stored up in the hive and sealed over for 

 Winter use, was all gone, and the cells filled with eggs and 

 young worms ! The hive stood in a covered bee house, 

 and the bees had built a large quantity of comb on the out- 

 side of the hive, into which they had transferred the honey 

 taken from the interior. The object of this unusual proced- 

 ure was, beyond all question, to give the poor queen a place 

 within the hive for laying her eggs : for this purpose they 

 uncapped and emptied all the cells so carefully sealed over, 

 instead of using the new comb on the outside for the brood. 



Those who wish to study the Natural History of the hon- 

 ey-bee, to the best advantage, will derive great aid in their 

 investigations, from the use of my Observing Hives. Each 

 comb in these hives is attached to a movable frame, and 

 they all admit of easy removal. In this respect the con- 

 struction of the hive is entirely new, and while it greatly 

 facilitates the business of observation, it enables the Apia- 



