33G 
BRITISH BEES. 
shown that the first phase exhibited of this distributed 
maternal instinct by which the neuters form conjunc¬ 
tively with the queen a many-headed and many-hearted 
mother, is their preparation of the cells for all the pur¬ 
poses required,—the next and most important, and the one 
perhaps which elevates them vastly higher in the scale of 
social intelligence and affection, is the absolute develop¬ 
ment in them only of maternal solicitude for the well-being 
of the offspring. This certainly proves the existence of 
the diffused maternity urged, for they feed the hatched 
young as the bird does its callow, from hour to hour, 
and which, when full grown, they enclose in its forma¬ 
tive cell, to undergo its changes and become one amongst 
themselves. It is not absolutely determined whether 
the functions performed within the hive are restricted to 
distinct sets of the workers, but it may be presumed that 
the duties are transferable, for the most plausible sup¬ 
position is, that all the offices are interchangeably per¬ 
formed by the entire population, possibly merely limited 
to daily alternation of individuals taled off each morning 
for the day’s duties. That an administrative regulation 
must exist under some executive authority, emanating 
doubtless from the centralization of all in the queen, 
and communicated to the rest by her relays of atten¬ 
dants, may be conclusively inferred, otherwise all might 
similarly employ themselves from day to day, and thus 
overwhelm with one work the multiplicity of labours 
required for the well-being of the hive. For whilst 
some are secreting the wax from the honey they have 
consumed, others are moulding it into shape, others are 
harvesting the bee-bread to feed the voracious larvm, 
others are gleaning the propolis for the security of the 
