HYMENOPTERA. 449 



season. The common bee rears the most, the wasp and hornet the 

 next, and probably the humble-bee the least in quantity. We may 

 judge by the ovaria of any of the bee-tribe whether the species lays 

 many eggs or not. 



The natural history or description of any of this tribe of insects 

 should begin with the commencement of a new colony, and each species 

 should be traced through the various actions in establishing and in- 

 creasing the colony, with the other parts of their economy ; in which 

 history we shall find great variety. 



In their habitations, whether for propagation only, as in the hornet 

 or wasp, or for both propagation and storehouse, as in the common bee, 

 and in some degree in the humble-bee, there is a certain degree of 

 uniformity. This is greatest in those of the hornet and wasp, in which 

 the neatness and regularity of the whole structure are wonderful. It is 

 considerably so, as regards structure, in the common bee ; but not so 

 much as regards the arrangement of a whole piece of comb ; for they 

 dispose of, or place, it in a hive, according to the greatest convenience, 

 sometimes in one direction, sometimes in another. The form of the 

 cell is commonly extremely accurate. The humble-bee appears to have 

 no kind of rule. The reason of this difference is evident. The hornet- 

 and wasp-kind themselves make the external shell of their nest, in 

 which they place the divisions and cells ; whereby the whole has a 

 more uniform and compact structure. But the common bee makes only 

 the divisions or combs in some cavity already formed ; therefore it is 

 obliged to adapt the partitions to the cavity, which renders the structure 

 less uniform. 



The instinctive powers are not equally extensive through the whole 

 tribe. I believe the common bee claims the superiority ; and probably 

 the humble-bee the next ; for the first provides for the year or season, 

 and the last only for a wet day ; while most of the others only provide 

 for the young. 



The species of the bee-tribe are not equally hardy ; some being more 

 so, as the hornet and wasp ; for as they lay up no food, either for them- 

 selves or young, they are obliged to go out in all weathers : others are 

 more delicate, as the humble-bee r ; and the common bee is particularly 

 so : this is a reason why the humble-bees lay up food for a wet day, 

 both for themselves and young ones ; and the common bee is obliged to 

 keep up the same degree of heat all the year round. However, I 

 suspect that the power of keeping up a uniform degree of heat preserves 

 the bee more than the others that are more hardy ; for the winter kills 



1 [" My experience is the contrary : humble-bees are seen about even in cold wet 

 weather, when wasps are benumbed and inactive." — Fr. Smith.] 



VOL. II. 2 G 



