76 THE LIFE OF THE BEE 



41 



Before raising the folds of the mysterious curtain beneath 

 whose shelter are laid the veritable foundations of the home, 

 let us endeavour to form some conception of the sureness 

 of vision, the accurate calculation, the industry, our little 

 people of emigrants will be called upon to display in order 

 to adapt this new dwelling to their requirements. In the 

 void round about them they must lay the plans for their 

 city, and logically mark out the site of the edifices which 

 must be erected as economically and quickly as possible, for 

 the queen, eager to lay, is already scattering her eggs on 

 the ground. And in this labyrinth of complicated build- 

 ings, so far existing only in imagination, laws of ventilation 

 must be considered, of stability, solidity ; resistance of the 

 wax must not be lost sight of, or the nature of the food 

 to be stored, or the habits of the queen ; ready access must 

 be contrived to all parts, and careful attention be given to 

 the distribution of stores and houses, passages and streets 

 — this, however, is in some measure pre-established, the plan 

 already arrived at being organically the best — and there are 

 countless problems besides, whose enumeration would take 

 too long. 



Now the form of the hive that man offers to the bee 

 knows infinite variety, from the hollow tree or earthenware 

 vessel still obtaining in Asia and Africa, and the familiar 

 bell-shaped constructions of straw which we find in our 

 farmers' kitchen-gardens, or beneath their windows, lost 

 beneath masses of sunflowers, phlox, and hollyhock, to what 



