NATURAL INCREASE. 
153 
as well as scientific interest, still await our con- 
sideration. Some of these cells, at the time of the 
departure of the swarm, are, normally, already sealed 
(A) (although considerable variations occasionally occur 
in reference to this matter), while in others (B) the 
nymphs are still feeding, and the object of, literally, 
unceasing attention, royal jelly (B'; r/, E; and page 82, 
Vol. I.) being added, in astonishing profusion, by a 
constant stream of workers inserting their heads in 
succession. At the close of the feeding stage, a 
sealing full of minute perforations is added by the 
never-weary attendants, when the well-fattened larva 
weaves within a cocoon {co, E), of very singular 
structure. That of the worker, or drone, is scanty, 
and consists of threads of tolerably uniform thickness 
(page 176, Vol. I.), while that made by the princess is 
heavily felted, and extraordinarily Irregular. The fibres 
are a transparent brown, of every diameter between 
y^-Q-in. and g-oVo^^- threads, unlike those of the 
spider and silk moth, evidently remain for some time 
in a semi-fluid state, and so are partially confluent : 
while here and there droplets have been allowed to 
issue from the spinning gland, to fuse all together, as 
may be seen by a magnified view of a part of this 
structure (D). To obtain the cocoon, place the entire 
cell in ether (a rapid solvent of w'ax), and shake, 
with one or two changes of the ether, until every 
trace of wax has disappeared, when a pretty object 
for the microscope remains, whose general form is seen 
at CO, E. So strong are these threads that, fixing 
the upper and lower parts of the cocoon between 
wooden slips, a 3olb. strain will not break them. 
