Cradle- Cells. 1 33 



It would take a long time for anybody 

 but a bee to guess what happens next. 



It is rather a peculiar performance, but 

 Miss Apis's performances are usually pe- 

 culiar. 



She caps over the cell of the baby-bee. 



It would be difficult to imagine an easier 

 way of disposing of a baby, — bottle it up 

 like a jar of pickles or a cell of honey. 



It is not much trouble to take care of 

 such babies. 



They only need to be kept warm. 

 Meantime, the infant thus disposed of 

 spins for itself a soft little silken night-cap. 



You see, it has nothing else to do. It 

 cannot get anything to eat, and they do 

 not give it so much as a rubber ring to 

 bite on, as far as I know; so it amuses 

 itself spinning a night-cap, or a soft little 

 cocoon, about the upper part of its fat 

 little bottled-up body. 



Some babies might cry under the circum- 

 stances ; but I doubt if this baby could do 



