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. TI 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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