98 
THE HONEY-MAKERS. 
Sometimes we find two or three of these oval cells 
situated one above another, without any thing to 
unite them. 
These cells are not the workmanship of the old 
bees, but of the young grubs, who spin them when 
they are about to change into nymphs. From 
these silken cases, which they have spun so tight- 
ly around themselves, the imprisoned insects have 
no means of escape, and depend for their release 
upon the old bees, who gnaw off the covering and 
set the young bee at liberty. The instinct with 
which the old bees know the precise time to re- 
lease the infant is truly wonderful. These cocoons, 
when thus left by their inmates, are by no means 
useless, but afterward serve for honey-pots, and 
are indeed the only store cells of the nest. 
The true breeding cells are contained in sev- 
eral irregular masses of brown wax, of different 
sizes, but of a flattened or globular shape. On 
opening one of these, a number of eggs or grubs 
are found, for which the mother bee has collected 
the masses of wax, which also contain pollen 
moistened with honey for their food. 
In all essential respects, the carder bee in its 
