The Life of the Bee 
observing scrupulously the maxim of each one 
for itself; in fact, a mere mob of workers, 
resembling the swarm of a hive only as re- 
gards their number and zeal. Such assemblies 
merely result from a great number of indi- 
viduals inhabiting the same locality.” 
But when we come to the Panurgi, which 
are cousins of the Dasypode, a little ray 
of light suddenly reveals the birth of a new 
sentiment in this fortuitous crowd. They 
collect in the same way as the others, and 
each one digs its own subterranean cham- 
bers; but the entrance is common to all, as 
also the gallery which leads from the surface 
of the ground to the different cells. “ And 
thus,” M. Perez adds, ‘‘as far as the work 
of the cells is concerned, each bee acts as 
though she were alone; but all make equal 
use of the gallery that conducts to the cells, 
so that the multitude profit by the labours 
of an individual, and are spared the time 
and trouble required for the construction of 
separate galleries. It would be interesting 
to discover whether this preliminary work 
be not executed in common, by relays of 
females, relieving each other in turn.” 
324 
