CREATION BY EVOLUTION 



a functional female and produces a continuous flow of 



The queen moves along on her egg-laying journey, explor- 

 ing every empty waxen cell with her feelers and inserting a 

 single egg into each cell. She never seems to tire, and she 



Fig. 7. — Comb of hive bee (Natural Size) . 



A, empty queen cell; B, the same, torn open; C, the same, cut 

 down; D, drone larva; E, F, sealed drone cells; G, sealed worker 

 cells; H, old queen cell; I, sealed honey; K, masses of pollen; L, 

 pollen cells; M, abortive queen cell; N, emerging bee; O, eggs 

 and larva. (After Cheshire.) 



never misses a cell. During her progress she is surrounded 

 by a small court of worker bees, who act as courtiers, walk- 

 ing backward. Some of them fan her with their wings; 

 others stroke her with their tongues; still others feed her 

 with half-digested pap, or "royal jelly," and all are hum- 

 ming most agreeably and soothingly. During May and June 



[190] 



