The, Young Queens 
with bent head, till the cry shall have 
ceased to resound. Indeed, some believe 
that it is thanks to the prestige of this 
cry, which the Sphinx Atropos imitates, 
that the latter is able to enter the hive, 
and gorge itself with honey, without the 
least molestation on the part of the bees. 
For two or three days, sometimes even 
for five, this indignant lament will be 
heard, this challenge that the queen ad- 
dresses to her well protected rivals. And 
as these in their turn develop, in their turn 
grow anxious to see the light, they too set 
to work to gnaw the lids of their cells. 
A mighty disorder would now appear to 
threaten the republic. But the genius of 
the hive, at the time that it formed its 
decision, was able to foretell every conse- 
quence that might ensue; and the guar- 
dians have had their instructions: they 
know exactly what must be done, hour by 
hour, to meet the attacks of a foiled in- 
259 
