103 HUMBLE CREATURES. 



in the Hve, to the almost miraculous powers of the 

 queen in producing and depositing in their respective 

 cells the eggs from which they proceed^ we shall now 

 quit the Bee-mother for a time^ to devote a portion 

 of our space to her young progeny^ and refer to the 

 remarkable phenomena that accompany the develop- 

 ment of the three forms, the worker, drone, and 

 queen, as exhibited in their various stages of larva, 

 pupa, and imago. 



In the first stage of its existence, that is to say the 

 larval state, after it has proceeded from the egg, the 

 young Bee resembles a minute, yellowish white worm, 

 exhibiting to the naked eye no trace of external organs 

 or members. The lens, however, reveals an imperfect 

 oral apparatus, or mouth, for the reception of food 

 (administered to it by the workers whilst it still re- 

 mains in the cell), and on the lower lip a pair of spin- 

 narets, with which it spins its cocoon preparatory to 

 assuming the second or pupal state. 



The body of the larva is divided into thirteen rings, 

 and a row of spiracles or breathing-holes may be de- 

 tected on either side of the body, one situated upon 

 each ring. 



It is, however, not a very attractive object, having 

 the appearance of a great over-fed maggot (PI. VIII. 

 fig. 7, represents one magnified about 6 or 8 dia- 

 meters), and the wonder is that from such an imper- 

 fect and ungainly form there should, in the course 

 of a few days, be developed the perfect little Bee, 

 with all its organs and members ; eyes simple and 



