270 HYMENOPTERA. 
paste is made, in which the bee lays 
three or four eggs, and covers them over 
with an arched roof of moss and wax, to 
preserve them from the rain. She then 
proceeds to collect more materials, and to 
deposit more eggs. Her first laid eggs 
are quickly hatched, and in a few days 
having eaten up all the paste in which 
they were placed, they change to nymphs, 
and from nymphs to bees ; and they are 
no sooner bees, than they begin to work, 
under the directions of their mother. 
The first job is to enlarge the nest. 
Lucy, I suppose she employs them to 
card the moss, and to bring it home ? 
Mother, Yes, they assist her ; but 
this work is performed in a very curious 
manner : the queen mother takes her lit- 
tle party to the nearest tuft of nice moss, 
and dragging out some of it, she first 
combs it, and then neatly mats it up into 
a little ball, with her jaws and fore legs ; 
with the other two pair of legs she pushes 
this ball under her to the next bee which 
stands close behind her ; and this bee 
