72 NATURAL HISTORY. [CH. IV. 



other five days, and let either free just at the very 

 moment her presence becomes essential ? Why, 

 too, do they allow the old queen to open the royal 

 cells, and slay as many of the royal nymphs as 

 she has strength to destroy, at the very time that 

 they are wanted, while they bite and drive away a 

 young - queen, who might attempt the same thing 1 

 One would almost be inclined to think, that the habit 

 of obeying the old queen — that personal attach- 

 ment, or something not unlike it, for one so long 

 known to them, had some influence upon their pro- 

 ceedings. 



The hive is always warm, and the bees lessen the 

 heat by ventilation. This branch of duty devolves 

 on workers alone. They unite their wings by means 

 of their marginal hooks into one piece, and then flap 

 them up and down like a fan. This operation pre- 

 sents something which resembles a designed combi- 

 nation of efforts, for it is not carried on indiscrimi- 

 nately in all parts of the hive. The fanners station 

 themselves, for the most part, at the bottom of the 

 hive, and are usually ranged in files. Some are 

 stationed outside of- the hive ; these always turn 

 their heads towards the entrance; others are sta- 

 tioned within, and turn theirs in the opposite direc- 

 tion. Their number seldom exceeds twenty at a 

 time ; they relieve each other, and the operation is 

 never remitted. If either the hand or wind-gauges 

 be held at the entrance of a bee-hive, a distinct im- 

 pression of a current of air, now acting, now subsid- 

 ing, is produced. 



After the hive has cast off several swarms, and 

 no more remain than are necessary for the preserva- 

 tion of the city, the bees no longer evince any anx- 

 iety about the rest of the royal brood ; but allow the 

 royal cells to be torn open by the first-born queen, 

 and either drag out the young themselves, if worms, 

 or permit them to be killed, if nymphs. 



Such is a brief account of the phenomena of 



