336 BRITISH BEES. 



shown that the first phase exhibited of this distributed 

 maternal instinct by which the neuters form conjunc- 

 tively with the queen a many-headed and many-hearted 

 mother, is their preparation of the cells for all the pur- 

 poses required, — the next and most important, and the one 

 perhaps which elevates them vastly higher in the scale of 

 social intelligence and afiFection, is the absolute develop- 

 ment in them only of maternal solicitude for the well-being 

 of the offspring. This certainly proves the existence of 

 the diffused maternity urged, for they feed the hatched 

 young as the bird does its callow, from hour to hour, 

 and which, when full grown, they enclose in its forma- 

 tive cell, to undergo its changes and become one amongst 

 themselves. It is not absolutely determined whether 

 the functions performed within the hive are restricted to 

 distinct sets of the workers, but it may be presumed that 

 the duties are transferable, for the most plausible sup- 

 position is, that all the offices are interchangeably per- 

 formed by the entire population, possibly merely limited 

 to daily alternation of individuals taled off each morning 

 for the day's duties. That an administrative regulation 

 must exist under some executive authority, emanating 

 doubtless from the centralization of all in the queen, 

 and communicated to the rest by her relays of atten- 

 dants, may be conclusively inferred, otherwise all might 

 similarly employ themselves from day to day, and thus 

 overwhelm with one work the multiplicity of labours 

 required for the well-being of the hive. For whilst 

 some are secreting the wax from the honey they have 

 consumed, others are moulding it into shape, others are 

 harvesting the bee-bread to feed the voracious larvae, 

 others are gleaning the propolis for the securitv of the 



