§ IV.] THE WORKER. 



31 



tained that the inside air of a hive is thus preserved 

 nearly as pure as that without. 



In older works on the subject we are told of the • 

 sentinels of bees, but this idea is now abandoned as a 

 fiction. It arose naturally enough out of the above 

 office of fanners, as well as from the fact that if a rap be 

 given upon the alighting-board a bee will immediately 

 appear without. So too if danger appears, and if any 

 bees are outside either as fanners or for their own relief 

 from the heat, these will promptly perform the duties of 

 sentinels. But as to any of them being posted specially 

 for that purpose, it is sufficient to say that at the season 

 when enemies are most to be fegred there are no guards 

 at the gates to be found. 



It has been much queried whether bees ever go to 

 sleep during the working season, as it is known that at 

 night, when not gathering abroad, they are engaged in 

 ceaseless activity at home. Huber, however, observed 

 frequent instances of bees placing their heads' in empty 

 cells and remaining perfectly motionless in that position 

 for from fifteen to twenty-five minutes, in his opinion 

 evidently asleep. Von Berlepsch has repeatedly observed 

 similar occurrences both with workers and queens — not 

 with drones, but then, says he, what is the whole life of 

 these but sleep ? — and he considers that there can exist 

 upon the point no doubt whatever. " The more active 

 the 'bees are," he remarks, "the more will they sleep, 

 like every creature." 



