Bombus, the Bumble- Bee. 167 



Well, Madam Bombus lays her eggs in 

 the mass of pollen, and they hatch into 

 little larvs, like those -of the honey-bees, 

 only not so small. 



You see, Madam Bombus has to do all 

 the work herself; so, I suppose, it saves 

 trouble to have the infants cradled in good 

 pollen, so they can help themselves with- 

 out troubling their mother. She feeds them 

 on bee-milk at first; but later, I suspect, 

 they have to eat their cradles. 



They grow fast; no doubt they eat a 

 great deal of pollen. 



When it comes time for them to change 

 into pupae, what do you suppose happens? 

 I do not believe you could guess if you 

 tried a month. 



You see, they have no wax cells in which 

 they can be bottled up. 



Queen Bombus does not cap them over, 

 as the honey-bees do, and leave them to 

 their fate.. She cannot bottle up her babies, 

 because she has no bottles. 



