40 NATURAL HISTORY. [cH. II. 



wound which for the most part proves instantane- 

 ously mortal. In these combats, it sometimes hap- 

 pens that the position of both is such, that each can 

 pierce its antagonist : when their situation is thus 

 critical, both become panic-struck, instantly disen- 

 gage themselves, and retreat. This happened so 

 invariably, that Huber looks on it as a special in- 

 stinct causing their separation, since by the death 

 of both the colony would be ruined. 



Whatever may be the number of queens intro- 

 duced into a hive, one only is allowed to survive. 

 It was suspected that the workers themselves de- 

 spatched them, but in no instance does this appear 

 to be the case. On one occasion, Huber wished to 

 release a queen which was kept in close confine- 

 ment. Upon this the workers became so enraged, 

 that they stung indiscriminately, and thus the queen 

 perished ; but as a proof that this was accidental, 

 he states, that many of the workers themselves 

 were killed. That this antipathy of queens is na- 

 tural, is proved by the fact, that it holds good even 

 against the almost universal instinct of maternal 

 feeling. The queen bee at certain seasons, as shall 

 be hereafter explained, lays eggs, which in due 

 time are destined to bring forth other queens. It 

 might be supposed that, in this case, the feelings of 

 a mother would have their full sway — not so. As 

 soon as her young are about to assume a shape 

 like her own, even when they are as yet in their 

 cradle, and incapable of self-defence, she is stimu- 

 lated to the utmost fury by their presence ; she 

 tears open the cells which contain them, and, in- 

 serting the end of her body in the breach she has 

 made, inflicts a mortal wound on her own offspring. 

 "Whatever may be the motive to such an action, we 

 must regard it as intended to answer other purposes 

 than gratifying the revenge of a poor insect. It 

 forms a part of the economy of nature. It is evi- 

 dently the intention of the Author of nature that 



