
HYMENOPTERA. 331 
vith the larva comes out of the egg till that of its metamorphosis 
into a pupa, the queen keeps in her cell, rolled up, motionless as 
an Indian idol in its sacred temple. The working bees visit her 
_ from time to time, to see that she wants for nothing, and to renew 
_ her provisions. They also carefully inspect the different cells, 
and assure themselves of the good condition of their 
nurshngs. The pap which they give them as food 

is whitish, and resembles paste made of flour. It 
| is apparently a preparation of pollen, prepared in fig, 391, Tarva o 
i . s the B aoni- 
the body of the insect. As the larvae increase in fied). cupeus 
size, their food is made to acquire a more decided taste of honey, 
and to become even slightly acid. It seems, then, that the bees 
| know how to graduate the food of their larvae: in such a manner 
—— 
as to bring it nearer by degrees to honey. 
In the space of five days, the larvee are developed; they have 
absorbed all their pap, and have no need from that time of any 
nourishment, for they are about now to change into pupe. Now 
the nurses pay them a last attention. ‘They wall them up in their 
cells, closing the openings with a waxen covering. The larve 
EE eEe——E Eee 
eee eee eee ee eee eee 
then get close to the wax covering. In thirty-six hours they have 
spun for themselves a silky cocoon, in which they undergo their 
transformation into pup. The moult, which precedes their meta- 
morphosis, coustitutes a crisis, as with the caterpillars of Lepi- 
doptera. 
The perfect insect is hatched seven or eight days after its trans- 
formation into a pupa, the organs being developed little by little, 
and the young bee is then ready to appear in the broad daylight. 
It breaks through the thin transparent covering in which it is 
still swathed ; then, with its mandibles, it pierces the operculum 
or door of its prison, and opens a way for itself by which it can 
issue forth. With the assistance of its front legs, it clings to the 
rim of the cell, and draws itself forward, till it has set free the 
whole of its body. The other bees lavish upon this newly-arrived 
little stranger all possible attention to make its entrance into the 
world easy and agreeable; assisting and supporting it till it has 
become quite strong. It very soon becomes strong. If it isa 
working bee, it is not long in getting to work and in mixing with 
its companions in labour. 




































