phoney is never consumed but in cases of the greatest necessity; but as soon as a cell is filled it is sealed up with a waxen covering.
During the progress of a comb hi building, the slightest interruption is likely to alter its form ; and as the space between each is always kept exactly the same, it frequently happens that the whole of the combs are affected by any accident happening to one. Fig. 17 Muse trace an instance of this sort, which we have seen— but it also frequently happens, that an interruption in one come Is corrected in those that follow. A curious instance of this nature we have also observed (fig. ] 8).
In both these instances the form of the comb was affected by a stick being placed across the middle of the hive, to enable the owner (as we believe) to remove the hive with less danger of the combs giving way.
The latter case is so ingenious that at first it appears more like an operation of reason than instinct : it in nevertheless to be accounted for upon the instinctive principles with which these animals work. The course of the first comb being altered, the two adjoining ones would naturally follow its lino ; but if those next beyond them on each side were in a state of forwardness, the workers would be obliged to discontinue the two former, as shown in the figure, to avoid coming in contact with the two latter ; for it appears to be a law in the con struction of new combs that a certain space should be always left at the margins as well as between them.
In addition to the construction of the comb, the bees when in danger of attacks from their enemies barricade themselves. Sometimes the entrance of the hive is nearly blocked up with wax and propolis, and at others a wall of that substance is constructed just behind that part; this wall is perforated with holes only just large enough to admit of the egress and ingress of the been themselves. The fortifica tions are occasionally much more ingenious and complicated. Weak hives are sometimes exposed to the attacks of strange bees, and in such cases fortifications would be constructed ; but it is more particu larly to prevent the ravages of the Acherontia atropos that this care is taken. As this moth only makes its appearance in the autumn, these
fortifications are removed in the spring, a time when they would bo of the greatest inconvenience, as the hive is then extremely populous. Huber states that "the entrances formed in 1804 were destroyed in the spring of 1805. The Sphinx (Acherontia atropos) did not appear that year ; but it returned in great numbers in the autumn of 1807. By speedily barricading themselves, the bees prevented their threat ened ravages ; but before the departure of swarms in May, 1808, they demolished the fortifications, whose narrow passage prohibited free egress to the multitude." ' The principal authors who have written upon the habits of bees are an follows :—Aristotle, History of Animals, book v.; Pliny, Natural _History, book xi. ; Swarumerdarn ; a translation into English, from the Dutch and Latin original edition of his work, has been made by Thomas Floyd, entitled, The Book of Nature, or the history of Insects ; Reaumur, in the fifth volume of his Mtmoires pour semir a l'Histoire des Insectes, 1734-42; Schirach, ilistoire Naturelle de la Reins des Abeilles, 1771 ; Contemplation de la Nature; Bonnet, tom. v., 4to ed., and torn. x., 8vo.; John blunter, Philosophical Transactions fur 1792; Thorley, Female Monarchy: being an Inquiry into the Nature, Order, and Gorernment of Bees ; Wildman, A Complete Guide for the Management of Bees, 1819 ; Huber, Nourciks Observations Nur les A bellies : is translation into English of this work wiln published in the year 1821, entitled, New Observations on the Natural History of Bea ; Edward Bevan, M.D., The Honey-Bee, its Natural History, Physiology, and Management, 1827 ; Kirby and Spence, introduction to Entomology ; T. Rymer Jones, Natural history of .Animals, vol. ii ; insect Architecture, in Library of Entertaining Knowledge.