12 
THE BEE NATION. 
])roved by Dr. de Planta (129) to consist of wax 
and pollen, and the larva spins a cocoon, the threads 
of which are produced by a fluid (secreted by a gland) 
which flows from an opening in the lip and hardens 
into a thread. It then for a last time casts its skin as 
already explained, together with the lining and con- 
tents of the stomach. It is now called pupa, chrysalis, 
or nymph. The skin during this last moult adheres 
to the sides of the cell and the cocoon is joined to it. 
Dr. de Planta found the silk fibres also in places 
attached to the under side of the cell covering, and he 
says this porosity of cappings (to which we have 
alluded above) is of physiological importance for the 
vital functions of the larva, and says further that it is 
not astonishing that this porosity is more pronounced 
even in the sides of queen cells, in which such a pre- 
cious creature as a queen bee has to breathe. 
As the larva decreases in length, the cappings with 
the silk fibres can be removed for examination with- 
out touching the head of the chrysalis. During its 
imprisonment the larva derives air through the minute 
openings in the caps of the cells. 
Marvellous transformations now take place, which 
will be more fully described in a future chapter. In 
about twenty-one days from the laying of the egg, the 
various transformations having been completed, at the 
last moment, Girard ( 48 ) says, the insect rolls off 
the thin pellicle which surrounds the pupa, and with 
its feet pushes it down into a pellet the size of a pin’s 
head to the bottom of the cell. At last the perfect 
worker bites round the roof of the cell (Fig. i, n) which 
