CH. IV.] THE HIVE BEE. 71 



left the hive may have been replaced by the birth of 

 additional workers, the bees keep them prisoners by 

 shutting - up the cells as fast as the young - queens at- 

 tempt to bite their way out. In this way some of 

 them, when set at liberty, are fit for immediate 

 flight. The royal prisoners, however, are merely 

 detained ; for when they pipe for food, and thrust 

 their proboscis through a hole in the cell, made just 

 large enough for that purpose, a nurse-bee standing 

 by instantly supplies them with honey. 



In the attack which the young queen makes on 

 the royal cells, irritated by the maltreatment of those 

 who ought to pay her homage, she stands upright, 

 and utters a shrill and clear sound. No sooner is 

 this piping heard, than the bees are immediately pa- 

 ralyzed : they remain motionless, and hang down 

 their heads. Huber and others have remarked this 

 strange effect very often. She then proceeds to tear 

 open the cells, but, in doing so, ceases to pipe, when 

 the bees, recovering from their stupor, drive her 

 away. Again she repeats the cry, and again the 

 same effect is produced. Hence it is evident that, 

 during the swarming season, the instinct of bees 

 undergoes considerable modification : for when they 

 have simply lost their queen, and taken measures to 

 replace her, by building royal cells, and feeding the 

 grubs of common workers, in the manner stated by 

 Schirach, and when several queens make their ap- 

 pearance, they seem to excite them to fight ; and the 

 conqueror is chosen their monarch. But in the 

 swarming time, as just detailed, they appear aware 

 that a plurality of queens is necessary to thin the 

 hive, and, in consequence, they forget their habitual 

 respect for the female, treat her roughly, and detain 

 her prisoner, not for any determinate period, but as 

 long as her appearance would be detrimental to their 

 ends. How strangely analogous to human reason- 

 ing and calculation is this ! What simple sensation 

 can make the bees detain one queen one day, an- 



