The Life of the Bee 
quietly, take a step back, execute a slight 
turn on herself, and proceed to the next 
cell, into which she will first, before intro- 
ducing her abdomen, dip her head to make 
sure that all is in order and that she is 
not laying twice in the same cell ; and in 
the meanwhile two or three of her escort 
will have plunged into the cell she has 
quitted to see whether the work be duly 
accomplished, and to care for, and ten- 
derly house, the little bluish egg she has 
laid. 
From this moment, up to the first frosts 
of autumn, she does not cease laying ; 
she lays while she is being fed, and even 
in her sleep, if indeed she sleeps at all, 
she still lays. She represents henceforth 
the devouring force of the future, which 
invades every corner of the kingdom. 
Step by step she pursues the unfortunate 
‘workers who are exhaustedly, feverishly 
erecting the cradles her fecundity de- 
215 
