The 
than on the other; but they are throughout 
tranfparent, limpid, and bright, and are full 
it feems with a watery matter, and faftened 
by a very {mall extremity to the wax. On the 
other extremity, therefore, the egg ftands up- 
right in its cell, and it touches not the wax 
except at oneend. After what manner thefe 
eggs are fo firmly faftened to the wax, I fhall 
explain in its proper place. We mutt only 
obferve here, that almoft all {pecies of infects, 
when they are about to bring forth young, 
affix their eggs by fome means in that firm 
manner; whereof I can indeed exhibit many 
very uncommon inftances. Among others, I 
have eggs of infects difpofed in a ring, which 
are thus glued round the branches of trees ; 
I have fome other eggs hidden as it were in 
froth: others again which are covered very 
thick with hair, and fo on without end. As 
to thofe eggs that aré covered or befet with 
hairs, we mutt obferve that Butterflies, which 
ftrengthen their eggs with fuch an integument, 
have thofe hairs originally fituated in the cir- 
cumference of thé hinder part of their body : 
and therefore when they bring forth or lay 
an egg, fome of thofe hairs naturally ftick to 
it, becaufe it is covered over with a vifcous 
moifture; and thus all the eggs become at 
length fhagey: the creatures themfelves 
become bald by this in the part juft men- 
tiond, which is a very remarkable obfervation. 
Thus we may learn fomething worthy of at- 
tention from every part of God’s works: for 
that Almighty power goes through all lands 
and tracts of the fea as well as the higheft 
heavens. 
When the eggs of the Bee have been hatched 
in the comb, then in the bottom of the waxen 
cell there is obferved a kind of web of a mem- 
branaceous texture, to which the ege after- 
wards adheres, or is firmly faftened. 
But the egg is not always fixed in-the fame 
place, that is, in the bottom of the cell ; fome- 
times it adheres fomewhat higher and again 
fomewhat deeper, according as the obliquely 
diverging cavity of the cell itfelf is varioufly 
conftituted, or according as the hinder part 
of the female’s body, can be moft eafily 
thruft into this cavity. However, the eggs are 
conftantly placed on the obliquely deverging 
foundation of the cell, though they do not 
always {tand perpendicularly upon it; but fome 
more, fome lefs obliquely : for the foundation 
always defcends perpendicularly, though the 
angles are fomewhat inflected. 
If the egg of the Bee be viewed with a 
microfcope, it appears fomewhat wrinkled : 
but thofe wrinkles are regular, and are laid 
almoft in the fame order, as in the skin of 
Fith after the fcales are off; which, the veftiges 
of the fcales being ftill confpicuous, are yet 
diftinguifhed in a regular manner. Some- 
thing like this is alfo obferved in the skin of 
Birds ftript of their feathers. 
I fhould think that the hinder part of the 
enclofed Worm lies in the thicker extremity 
Hels? iO Bey 
Om TINS “EAS: 17% 
of the egg, and the fore part in the thiner 
extreme. This Worm in fome days after- 
wards breaks open the membrane of the 
ege, and creeps out.of it under the form 
of a crooked Worm, exceffive tender, and 
without legs. But in this Worm the divifions 
or annular incifions of the body are immediately 
confpicuous, nor does it ftand erect as the egg 
did, but lies on the foundation of the cell: 
the natural figure of the eggs may be feen in 
Tab. XXIU. fg. x1. for there fix eggs are 
delineated in their natural fize: they ftand 
erect and oblong, are very flender, but fome- 
what thicker in the upper part; as may be 
feen under the letter a, fig. x11. Under the 
letter 6 a microfcopic view of one of thefe eggs 
is exhibited, refembling the skin of a Fith 
new fcaled; in which one may ftill fee the 
joints, feams, or imprefflions where the fcales 
had ftuck. Further, I fhew in fig. x. a little 
‘part of the comb, furnifhed with nineteen 
cells, nine of which are confpicuous with their 
erect egos; four others contain fome tender 
new hatched Worms, which have caft thei 
skin a little before; and laftly, the five other 
cells contain Worms fomewhat larger and more 
grown. I have cut off thefe little cells at one 
half of their heighth, that their triangular 
foundation on which the eggs ftand erect, and 
which fupports the Worms, may be feen more 
diftinétly. 
But I fhall proceed, and taking up again 
the interrupted difcourfe on the Bee’s eggs ; 
obferve, that they are, until the time of their 
being hatched, when a kind of very {mall 
Worm creeps out of them, left without the 
care of other Bees, and without any kind of 
fitting or incubation; though the contrary 
opinion has been hitherto eftablithed, which 
appears to be likewife in fome degree fupported 
by experience. I fhould think, at leaft, that the 
Bees go often to vifit- them, that they may 
know for certain whether or not the Worms 
are come out of them. But this they can 
likewife obferve when they follow the female 
wherever fhe goes. The little cell alfo, in 
which the egg is repofited, remains often te 
be finifhed afterwards ; fo that in this cafe 
they may eafily know occafionally whether 
the Worm has crept out of the egg or not. 
But as the internal parts of the hive are very 
dark in refpeét to our eyes, and the eges with 
difficulty difcovered in the bottom of the eelit 
I fhould think it follows from thence that the 
Bees can {ee as well in the dark as in the light, 
which is likewife the cafe with many other 
infects. ‘The eyes of the Bees indeed feem 
much better accommodated for this purpofe 
than thofe of any other infeéts whatfoever ; as 
their ftru€ture will afterwards demonftrate. 
For the Bees do not fee by force of collected 
tays, by which the image of the object is 
painted inwardly on the eye; as is the cafe to 
demonftration in an Ox’s and Man’s eye, when 
the external coats to the uvea are firft taken 
off: but the fimple touching and reflection of 
the 
