70 BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



days, when they are hatched, the bottom of each cell 

 presenting to view a white worm or maggot, of very 

 small size, with several ventral rings. Immediately 

 upon its hatching, or just previous to it, the workers 

 supply it with a very minute portion of food of a 

 whitish color, which is increased daily until the worm 

 seems to float on a kind of white liquid substance, 

 which is without doubt their food, and so nicely do 

 they gauge the necessary amount, that all is con- 

 sumed, no surplus ever being found in the cell after 

 the insect is matured and emerges. 



When the worm grows so large as to touch the 

 opposite angle of the cell, it coils itself up in a semi- 

 circle, and gradually increases its dimensions until 

 the two ends touch each other, forming a ring; 

 whilst in these preliminary stages of existence it is 

 called by various names, such as worm, larva, maggot 

 and grub. Apiarians are not decided as to the exact 

 composition of the food given them ; some suppose 

 that pollen or bee-bread is the principal food required, 

 whilst others think it is a mixture of pollen, honey 

 and water, partly digested in the stomach of the 

 nursing bees, the relative proportions of honey and 

 pollen varying according to the age of the young. 

 According to Bevan, the compound at first is nearly 

 insipid, but gradually receives an accession of sweet- 

 ness and aceseency, which increases as the insects 

 approach maturity. 



