CARDER-BEES. 67 



preventing high winds from destroying- it. Before 

 this finishing is given to the nest, we have re- 

 marked, that on a fine sunshiny day, the upper 

 portion of the dome was opened to the extent of 

 more than an inch, in order, we suppose, to forward 

 the hatching of the eggs in the interior; but on the 

 approach of night this was carefully covered in again. 

 It was remarkable that the opening which we have 

 just mentioned was never used by the bees for either 

 their entrance or their exit from the nest, though 

 they were all at work there, and, of course, would 

 have found it the readiest and easiest passage. But 

 they invariably made their exit and their entrance 

 through the covert-way or gallery which opens at 

 the bottom of the nest, and, in some nests, is about a 

 foot long and half an inch wide. This is, no doubt, 

 intended lor concealment, from field-mice, polecats, 

 wasps, and other depredators. 



On removing a portion of the dome and bringing 

 the interior of the structure into view, we find little 

 of the architectural regularity so conspicuous in the 

 combs of a common bee-hive ; instead of this sym- 

 metry, there are only a few egg-shaped, dark-coloured 

 cells, placed somewhat irregularly, but approaching 

 more to the horizontal than to the vertical position, 

 and connected together with small amorphous* 

 columns of brown wax. Sometimes there are two or 

 three of these oval cells placed one above another, 

 without anything to unite them. 



These cells are not, however, the workmanship of 

 the old bees, but of their young grubs, who spin 

 them when they are about to change into nymphs. 

 But, from these cases, when they are spun, the en- 

 closed insects have no means of escaping, and they 

 depend for their liberation on the old bees gnawing 



* Shape ess. 



