The Life of the Bee 
whose construction is very much easier, 
and far more rapid. When the queen 
in her turn attains this unthankful zone, 
she will regretfully lay a few eggs there, 
then cease, pass beyond, and clamour 
for more workers’ cells. Her daughters 
obey; little by little they reduce the 
cells; and then the pursuit starts afresh, 
till at last the insatiable mother shall have 
traversed the whole circumference of the 
hive, and have returned to the first cells. 
These, by this time, will be empty; for 
the first generation will have sprung into 
life, soon to go forth, from their shadowy 
corner of birth, disperse over the neigh- 
bouring blossoms, people the rays of the 
sun and quicken the smiling hours; and 
then sacrifice themselves in their turn 
to the new generations that are already 
filling their place in the cradles. 
217 
