The 
The Nymphs of Bees, after they have con- 
tinued fhut up in their little waxen cells for a 
fufficient time, and till the entire evaporation 
of the redundant moifture, fhed at length their 
laft fkin of all, which accordingly is found in 
the bottom of the cell, together with the former, 
which they have thrown off during their exift- 
ence under the form of a Worm. Having thus 
caft their coats, they then break their web, by 
the affiftance of their teeth, and at the fame 
time forcing their way through the wax that 
is faftened down above to the web, and burft- 
ing it into feveral jagged pieces, they throw it 
off on all fides ; after this other Bees carry thefe 
broken pieces away, and clear the cells fo 
thoroughly, as to make them quite {mooth and 
even. The male, as well as the female Bees, 
force their way alfo out of their cells, in the 
fame manner as the common or working kind, 
and all undergo the fame change. This remark- 
able difference, however, is to be obferved, that 
the common Bees, and of the male kind alfo, 
ufually come forth, as already obferved, with 
their wings then folded up; fo that after they 
have burft through their webs, their wings re- 
main yet to be expanded, by the force of air 
and humours impelled within ; for, as has been 
already obferved elfewhere, thofe large veflels, 
which are perceived in their wings, after the 
manner exhibited in Tab. XXV. fig. x. are 
without doubt the tubes that convey the air, 
Clofe to them alfo are placed the blood veffels, 
which bring the nutriment to the wings. This 
obfervation I have made is highly worthy of 
notice, fince it moft evidently difplays the won- 
ders of God, in the infe€t world, and at the 
fame time utterly overthrows thofe impious 
notions, that thefe creature are generated from 
putrefied matter, and by a certain fortuitous 
concourfe of particles; for if we grant that, 
the efpoufers of thefe notions take occafion 
thence moft perverfely to carry on the argument 
to large animals, and in a moft offenfive and 
indecent manner leffen and detract from the 
providence and omnipotence of God, which 
are univerfally and equally manifefted in every 
{pecies of animals without exception. In truth, 
if the moft minute creature is capable of being 
generated from putrefation, ‘nothing hinders 
but that the largeft of all may likewife. 
The female Bees do not, as the common 
Bees and the male, come forth with their 
wings folded up, but expanded and difplayed: 
they come out of their cells in a ftate of flying. 
On this account, the all-wife Author of na- 
ture has provided for them a more fpacious 
manfion, in which they may expand their 
_ wings conveniently and properly, fo that after 
they have burft from their cells, they may 
be prepared for {warming immediately, if 
there be a neceflity for it, or that the young 
female may be in a condition to drive out even 
the mother Bee herfelf, that is the old female, 
and to take her place, if there be occafion. 
T am fully perfuaded that the reft of the 
Bees know beforehand, by fome fure fign, when 
“ 
HISTORY 
at iN SE Gia S:’ 
the new femaleis employed in breakingthrough 
her cell; and, accordingly for fome days before 
they form a new colony or fwarm, we fee a 
great many Bees hanging about her cell, 
which are no doubt, waiting for the female’s 
iffuing forth, and when fhe is juft on the point 
of coming out, they make a buzzing with 
their wings, which is the fong of Bees, re- 
ceive and falute her at a diftance as it were 
with marks of joy. I make no doubt but that 
the males are moft concetned in this bufinefs ; 
not unlike wanton horfes, who, when they 
fee the mares, though at a diftance, neigh after 
them, and inftantly prepare themfelves’ for 
leaping. This is the cafe likewife in the males 
of Silk-worms, which, before they fo much 
as {ee the female, yet immediately, as foon 
as they get the fcent of her, by the help of 
their wings fet up an agreeable humming; and 
fo irritated are they with a burning defire 
for copulation, that they will frequently copu- 
late with the females even when dead, not 
can they without force be torn off. However, 
I do not believe, that the male Bees actually 
copulate with the female, though indeed they 
love to get as clofe to her as they can; becaufe 
thus they feel a titillation arifing from the 
emiffion of their fperm, For I am firmly per- 
fuaded, that the male Bees eject their {perm 
in the fame manner as Fifhes, who only thed 
it upon the {pawa, nor have any thing further 
to do with the females. It would be no difficult 
matter to make certain experiments, in all thefe 
particulars ; asto try forinftance whether the fe- 
male Bee, enclofed in alittle net made of fine 
thread, or in a {mall glafs veffel covered with 
a piece of fine linen, or in a box with holes 
in it, could be impregnated by the bare {cent 
of the male. But of all thefe things I thall 
hereafter treat more at large. I think it ne- 
ceflary, however, to add this fingle obfervation, 
that the laft humming or noife which is heard 
in the hive, a little while before the Bees are 
going out to {warm, is raifed by the female Bee 
alone, arifing to be fure from her joy in feeling 
herfelf then impregnated, and being fenfible 
that fhe is foon to make an excurfion ; fince 
the found, which is then heard, is owing only 
to one Bee, and that-no other than the new 
queen. 
I once found a female turned quite upfide 
down in her cell, and yet perfectly formed 
with her wings already expanded for flight. 
She had been attempting a paffage on the op- 
pofite fide of her cell, endeavouring to break 
through the middle wall of the comb itfelf, 
great part whereof fhe had already eaten 
through : fhe feemed as if the would be 
able to get out of the cell in a few days. In 
thefe difficulties I came to her affiftance, and 
at the fame time got myfelf a proper fubje@ 
for diffeGtion. When the Bees begin to perceive 
that the female is near coming out of her 
cell, I make no doubt but there muf arife a 
very remarkable commotion in. the hive; as 
well 
187 
