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ZOOLOGY. 555 
must, of course, wonder why this latter manner of reproduction (by 
wingless individuals) has not long since taken the place through 
natural selection of the production of winged males and females. 
But the wingless individuals would of course have to pair always 
with their near relatives, whilst by the swarming of the winged 
Termites a chance is given to them for the intercrossing of indi- 
viduals not nearly related. 
rom Termites I have lately turned my attention to a still more 
interesting group of social insects, viz., our stingless honey-bees 
(Melipona and Trigona). Though a high authority in this matter, 
Mr. Frederick Smith, has lately affirmed that “we have now 
acquired almost omplete history of their economy,” I still 
believe that almost all remains to be done in this respect. I 
think that even their affinities are not yet well established, and 
: : ë 
o 
when once established, should have migrated from the ventral to 
the dorsal side, or vice verså. ` 
-The queen of the hive-bee fixes her eggs on the bottom of the 
empty cells; the larvee are fed by the laborers at first with semi- 
digested food, and afterwards with a mixture of pollen and soem 
our cies, is surprised at the amou a 
which the mot species aoe in the structure of their hind legs, 
oe wings, etc., and not less are the differences they exhibit 
In their habits. 
iik have hitherto observed here fourteen species of Melipona and 
‘tigona, the smallest of them scarcely exceeding two millimetres 
