THE SWARM 



They have mastered the intricacies of the 

 movable comb, of the sections that com- 

 pel them to store their surplus hone) in 

 little boxes s\Tnmetrically piled; and in 

 the case of the still more extraordinan,- 

 innovation of foundation \vax, where the 

 cells are indicated only by a slender cir- 

 cumference of ^^■a^:, the\' are able at once 

 to grasp the advantages this new system 

 presents; they most carefulh' extend the 

 wax, and thus, without loss of time or 

 labour, construct perfect cells. So long as 

 the event that confronts them appear not 

 a snare devised by some cunning and 

 malicious god, the bees may be trusted 

 alwavs to discover the best, nay, the only 

 human, solution. Let me cite an in- 

 stance; an event, that, though occurring 

 [93 J 



