Theoldmalecellscanberecognizedbytheirpositionontheouteredgesandbytheircapacity,measuringonanaveragethesameasacolumnofsand31millimetreshighinaglasstube5millimetreswide。（1。21x。195inches。——Translator\'sNote。）Thesecellscontainmalesofthesecondorthirdgenerationandnonebutmales。Intheoldfemalecells,thoseinthemiddle,whosecapacityismeasuredbyasimilarcolumnofsand45millimetreshigh（1。75inches。——
Translator\'sNote。）,arefemalesandnonebutfemales。
Thispresenceofbothsexesatatime,evenwhentherearebuttwocellsfree,onespaciousandtheothersmall,provesintheplainestfashionthattheregulardistributionobservedinthecompletenestsofrecentproductionisherereplacedbyanirregulardistribution,harmonizingwiththenumberandholding—capacityofthechamberstobestocked。TheMason—beehasbeforeher,letmesuppose,onlyfivevacantcells:twolargerandthreesmaller。Thetotalspaceatherdisposalwoulddoforaboutathirdofthelaying。Well,inthetwolargecells,sheputsfemales;inthethreesmallcells,sheputsmales。
Aswefindthesamesortofthinginalltheoldnests,wemustneedsadmitthatthemotherknowsthesexoftheeggwhichsheisgoingtolay,becausethateggisplacedinacellofthepropercapacity。Wecangofurtherandadmitthatthemotheralterstheorderofsuccessionofthesexesatherpleasure,becauseherlayings,betweenoneoldnestandanother,arebrokenupintosmallgroupsofmalesandfemalesaccordingtotheexigenciesofspaceintheactualnestwhichshehappenstobeoccupying。
Justnow,inthenewnest,wesawtheMason—beearranginghertotallayingintoseriesfirstoffemalesandnextofmales;andheresheis,mistressofanoldnestofwhichshehasnotthepowertoalterthearrangement,breakingupherlayingintosectionscomprisingbothsexesjustasrequiredbytheconditionsimposeduponher。Shethereforedecidesthesexoftheeggatwill,for,withoutthisprerogative,shecouldnot,inthechambersofthenestwhichsheowestochance,depositunerringlythesexforwhichthosechamberswereoriginallybuilt;andthishappenshoweversmallthenumberofchamberstobefilled。