The Life of the Bee 
for, were a choice forced upon us, occa- 
sional gleams would appear to declare 
that the inferences we are most desirous 
to draw will prove to be truest. Besides, 
let us not forget that our ignorance still is 
profound. We are only learning to open 
our eyes. A thousand experiments that 
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, 
overstep the iron barrier of total solitude, 
and be satisfied to live the common life 
of the Dasypode, or to put forth the fra- 
ternal effort of the Panurgi? And if we 
imposed abnormal conditions upon the 
Panurgi, would these, in their turn, pro- 
gress 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 understand- 
ing, a mutual division of labour? Have 
404, 
