85 
THE BROOD. 
attach the egg to it ; but, in fact, the Queen lays 
when the cell is merely founded, and not deeper than 
that of a common hee, and it is not until the precious 
deposit has been made, that the workers lengthen it 
to the full size. The egg destined to produce a 
Queen, like that which is laid in a drone-cell and that 
of a worker, is three days old before it is hatched ; as 
soon as this takes place, the royal larva becomes an ob- 
ject of devoted attention to the bees, who watch over 
and feed it with unremitting attention and care. “ It 
is difficult,” says M. Feburier, “ to form an idea of the 
anxious care and attention bestowed by the bees 
on the royal larva. The comparison of the affection 
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 involved in that of their young sove- 
reign ; 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 transformation, 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 cover- 
ing is left incomplete, unlike those of the workers and 
males, which inclose the whole body. This fact 
beautifully demonstrates the admirable art with which 
the Author of nature has connected the various cha- 
racteristics of this interesting tribe of his creatures. 
And the fact now under consideration is one of no 
