The Life of the Bee 
she will add other fragments of wax that 
she takes in succession from beneath her 
rings of horn; and finally, with one last 
lick of the tongue, one last wave of 
antenne, she will go, as suddenly as she 
came, and disappear in the crowd. Another 
will at once take her place, continue the 
work at the point where the first one has 
left it, add on her own, change and adjust 
whatever may seem to offend the ideal plan 
of the tribe, then vanish in her turn, to be 
succeeded by a third, a fourth, and a fifth, all 
appearing unexpectedly, suddenly, one after 
the other, none completing the work, but 
each bringing her share to the task in which 
all combine. 
54 
A small block of wax, formless as yet, 
hangs down from the top of the vault. 
So soon as its thickness may be deemed 
sufficient, we shall see another bee emerge 
from the mass, her physical appearance 
differing appreciably from that of the 
foundresses who preceded her. And _ her 
manner displays such settled conviction, her 
150 
