92 TREATISE ON THE 
and attention bestowed by the Bees on the 
royal larva. ‘The comparison of the affec- 
tion of a mother for an only child can alone 
furnish any thing like a conception of it. 
They seem to feel that their own fate is in- 
volved in that of their young sovereign. 
They feed her with a jelly different from 
that which is destined for the workers and 
males; it is more pungent, and moderately 
acid, and they supply it in such profusion 
that she is unable to consume it all; for, 
after her transfoymation, some remains of it 
are found at the bottom of the cell. At the 
end of the fifth day of the larva state, the 
royal cell is closed,and the inhabitant begins 
spinning her cocoon. It is worthy of remark, 
that this covering is left incomplete, unlike 
those of the workers and males, which en- 
close the whole body. his fact beautifully 
demonstrates the admirable art with which 
the Author of nature has connected the va- 
rious characteristics of this interesting tribe 
of his creatures. And the fact now under 
consideration is one of no small importance 
