The Life of the Bee 



certainty be known of the curious, pro- 

 found, and intimate side of its inhabi- 

 tants. Nor will this be at the cost of 

 what still remains to be learned. I shall 

 pass over in silence the hoary traditions 

 that, in the country and many a book, 

 still, constitute the legend of the hive. 

 Whenever there be doubt, disagreement, 

 hypothesis, when I arrive at the unknown, 

 I shall declare it loyally; you will find 

 that we often shall halt before the un- 

 known. Beyond the appreciable facts 

 of their life we know but little of the 

 bees. And the closer our acquaintance 

 becomes, the nearer is our ignorance 

 brought to us of the depths of their real 

 existence ; but such ignorance is better 

 than the other kind, which is uncon- 

 scious, and satisfied. 



Does an analogous work on the bee 

 exist ? I believe I have read almost all 

 that has been written on bees; but of 

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