APIS MELLIFICA. 463 



opening of the cell. We may suppose that the bees are at great pains 

 to keep the cell clean of the excrements, as we do not find any in it. 

 When the maggot arrives at its full growth, and has got the disposition 

 to prepare for the chrysalis, it covers the mouth of the cell, and lines it 

 with a thin membrane formed of its silk*. 



When this is finished it turns its head to the mouth of the cell, and 

 goes into the chrysalis state ; then, over that part of the membrane 

 which covers the mouth of the cell, the old bees lay a thin covering of 

 wax. How long it lies in the chrysalis state I have not been able to 

 determine. When arrived at its full maturity, it eats or makes a sepa- 

 ration of the covering from the edge of the cell about half-way round, 

 and pushes itself through. When it first comes out it is of a grey 

 colour, but soon becomes brown. 



On dissecting maggot-bees I found a brown substance in their stomach 

 and intestines, similar to the bee-bread, but not so solid or thick : it 

 was about the consistence of honey. It yields little or no taste, at least 

 it was not sweet. It is to be presumed it is the bee-bread somewhat 

 diluted. 



In the bee-tribe, we find that what was the stomach at one time, viz. 

 in the maggot, becomes the crop in the adult ; therefore it must lose 

 the power of forming the gastric juice; and what before was only 

 intestine must acquire it. This is a curious fact. 



Of the Management of Bees. — The management of bees is very simple. 

 I believe the less that is done to them the better they thrive. The 

 great object commonly in view is to make them pay a tax for their 

 situation, by depriving them of some of their honey, and leaving them 

 only what is necessary to serve them through the winter. But this 

 should not be done with too exacting a hand, for fear of losing the 

 whole. Some go further, and allow them [artificial food for] their daily 

 support. But I believe that a swarm in this country can seldom spare 

 much of their summer's labour ; and the [artificial] mode of feeding is 

 but a bad substitute. When they are robbed of some of their winter's 

 food, many of the bees should be killed [to proportion the remainder to 

 the honey that is left]. 



* Do the old bees remove this silk lining or not? If they do not, then the cell 

 must become smaller and smaller as the hive grows old. I suspect that they do not 

 remove this lining, for I find a vast difference between the consistence of a new 

 comb and an old one. A new comb is brittle, and almost wholly wax. An old one 

 is tough, and yields a great deal of refuse upon melting. What makes this still 

 more probable is, the common moth does not lay its eggs in the cells of a new comb, 

 but in an old one, the lining of which is an animal substance. Bees use combs 

 already formed, as materials for new combs. Put near a bee-hive a piece of comb, 

 they will carry it all away, so that they can work it up again. 



