than they perceived it was not necessary to
continue their labour, and therefore desisted at
once.

As regards the size of the cells, Huber
relates some experiments made by him which
demonstrate that it is not the size alone which
determines the size of the occupant; the cell
must be large enough to admit of the development,
but the food it is supplied with plays an
important part. The queen distinguishes
between the dimensions of the different cells, and
will not deposit the eggs from which workers
are to be hatched in the large cells intended for
the drones, but will rather prefer to waste them.
A piece of comb containing only large cells was
placed in a hive in the position of a piece
which had contained workers' cells. The queen
was most desirous of laying her eggs, was
dropping them all about the hive, but would not
enter these cells. These large cells were then
removed, and a piece of comb substituted
containing workers' brood. As the comb could not
be used in this condition, the workers,
sympathising with their queen, at once proceeded to
clear out the brood and clean the cells for her
use. The queen evidently recognised the
unfitness of the cells which were built for male bees
for the reception of the eggs of workers; and
what is, perhaps, still more strange, the bees
themselves appear to be able to distinguish a
difference between the eggs of drones and those
from which workers are to be hatched, for when
a number of the latter were placed by a bee-
master in the large cells intended as a repository
for the former, the bees which closed the cells
made the surface flat instead of oval, as usual,
showing that they were conscious that less room
would be sufficient. In connexion with the
laying of eggs, a striking proof was given
of the interest which the ordinary bees take
in the proper performance of the functions
of their sovereign in this matter, in the case
of a queen which was tied by means of a piece
of silk in such a position that she could
not reach the more distant cells; she was
therefore obliged to drop them on the floor,
from whence they were taken by her subjects
and deposited by them in the cells provided for
their reception.

Bees are perfectly willing to accept the home
that is offered them, taking care to secure it
against the influx of rain, but, if left to their
own resources, it is manifest that they cannot
have hives to occupy, and must therefore resort
to their natural abode, and this is usually a
hollow in a tree. To find a suitable hollow
within a reasonable distance is sometimes a
difficult matter, and it appears to be their practice
(of course I am speaking now of countries
where there are forests, in which they lead an
unsophisticated existence) to send out scouts to
search for a new dwelling-place when the old
one is over-populated. When one has been
discovered, the scout flies away and fetches
other bees, and together they explore the hollow,
carefully examining the bark, and especially the
knots or projections, as if they were afraid that
these might in sorne way be prejudicial to the
comfort of the interior. Having made up their
minds on this point, they return to the hollow
from whence they started, and guide the
emigrants to their new home. They never make a
mistake and lose their way, however distant
their habitation may be, and this is a fact which
is little less than extraordinary, and applies
equally to the domesticated bee. They fly long
distances in search of flowers, it may be to a
heath a mile, or two miles, or even more
distant, and, having loaded themselves, they mount
in the air and take a direct line to the place
from whence they set out; there is no hesitation,
no zig-zags in their course, but a steady
flight in a straight line. No matter how many
hives there may be surrounding their own, they
never go to one of these, but always directly to
their own. By what marvellous instinct they
are enabled to do this we cannot conjecture,
and it is still more surprising that they should
be able to do this in a forest abounding in trees.
It is a pity that such intelligent insects are not
always suffered to pursue their flight unmolested,
but they are exposed to risks like every other
living creature; sometimes it is a bird which
drops upon them, at other times it is a gust of
wind which, heavily laden as they are when they
are on their way home, dashes them to the
ground and kills or maims them. The load they
carry is surprising for such little creatures,
especially when we remember how far they
frequently have to go to procure it, and their flanks
must be exceedingly strong or they would never
be able to bear it. It was, no doubt, from
imperfect observation of the nature of the
substance they carry on their thighs which induced
Pliny to say that they were accustomed to
prevent themselves from being blown away in a high
wind by carrying a small bit of stone between
their legs.

Bees, as a rule, are very pugnacious when there
are many of them together; it appears, however,
that when they are alone they are very
peaceful, and bear spoliation without resistance.
A solitary bee has been seen to submit to be
plundered of the store it had deposited on its
thighs as many as three times in succession
without attacking the robber, when it was at a
distance from home; but if attacked when it is
near its hive, it becomes quite another matter;
then other members of the community fly to its
assistance, and as members of the colony to
which the would-be robber belongs sometimes
hasten to help him in his need, a general battle
ensues, in which loss of life to several of the
individuals concerned is the inevitable result. It
has happened that a more systematic attempt
has been made to plunder on a more extensive
scale. A hive, the inhabitants of which are
driven to desperation by hunger, having selected
a hive which they know to contain honey, force
their way in like an army of Taepings, and
slaughter the inhabitants without mercy. If the
inhabitants prove to be too strong for the
invaders, they are expelled, and no quarter is
given; all who are caught before they can make