The Life of the Bee 
could be made have as yet not even been 
tried. If the Prosopes, for instance, were 
imprisoned, and forced to cohabit with their 
kind, would they, in course of time, over- 
step the iron barrier of total solitude, and 
be satisfied to live the common life of the 
Dasypode, or to put forth the fraternal effort 
of the Panurgi? And if we imposed ab- 
normal conditions upon the Panurgi, would 
they, in their turn, progress from a general 
corridor to general cells? If the mothers of 
the humble-bees were compelled to hibernate 
together, would they arrive at a mutual 
understanding, a mutual division of labour? 
Have combs of foundation-wax been offered 
to the Meliponite? Would they accept 
them, would they make use of them, would 
they conform their habits to this unwonted 
architecture? Questions, these, that we put 
to very tiny creatures; and yet they contain 
the great word of our greatest secrets. We 
cannot answer them, for our experience 
dates but from yesterday. Starting with ” 
Réaumur, about a hundred and fifty years 
have elapsed since the habits of wild bees 
first received attention. Réaumur was 
330 
