354 BRITISH BEES. 



they possessed, and the sagacity they applied to the de- 

 tection of the most minute particulars, have been enabled 

 to discover that these workers were permanently sepa- 

 rated into distinct classes, — indeed, although surmising 

 from this distribution of labour that such might be the 

 case, and thus made alert to the discovery of its posi- 

 tive confirmation by direct observation, they have never 

 been able to do so ; and they strongly deny it, maintain- 

 ing that these duties are individually transferable, and 

 that they are not restricted to certain classes, already 

 sufficiently implied by the organization of the workers. 

 Huber, it is true, states that the wax-sculpturers — those 

 which finish the cells to their nicety of perfection — are 

 smaller than any of the rest of the community, to facili- 

 tate their operations within the cells, which may perhaps 

 be a foregone conclusion. 



The idea of administrative vigilance in the distribution 

 of the labour of the community is strongly corroborated 

 by the fact that all the labours proceed pari passu and 

 in equable order, no excessive preponderance of any par- 

 ticular work having been observed, which would certainly 

 sometimes be the case were there no limiting control 

 over their individual action, and thus the harmonious 

 Concurrence of all to one effect seriously disturbed. The 

 supposition is also strengthened by the unfailing attend- 

 ance of the queen's numerous and deferential retinue, 

 some one or other of whom, every now and then, quits 

 that service — perhaps as an envoy on business of govern- 

 ment — and is replaced by another. All these many cir- 

 cumstances lead to the presumption that the queen is 

 the heart of the whole body, the organ which forces for- 

 ward the circulation through its diverse channels, giviag 

 to all the temperate pulsation of vigorous health. 



