The Life of the Bee 



whose construction is very much easier, 

 and far more rapid. When the queen 

 in her turn attains this unthankful zone, 

 she will regretfiilly lay a few eggs there, 

 then cease, pass beyond, and clamour 

 for more workers' cells. Her daughters 

 obey ; little by little they reduce the 

 cells ; and then the pursuit starts afresh, 

 till at last the insatiable mother shall have 

 traversed the whole circumference of the 

 hive, and have returned to the first cells. 

 These, by this time, will be empty ; for 

 the first generation will have sprung into 

 life, soon to go forth, from their shadowy 

 corner of birth, disperse over the neigh- 

 bouring blossoms, people the rays of the 

 sun and quicken the smiling hours; and 

 then sacrifice themselves in their turn 

 to the new generations that are already 

 filling their place in the cradles. 



217 



