CH. I.J THE HIVE BEE. 35 



less. Putting them all into a box, he gradually 

 warmed it in the hope of reviving- the whole. 



As soon as some of the workers came to life, they 

 ranged tliemselves round the dead mother as if com- 

 passionating her situation. With their trunks they 

 licked her breast, head, and body, but took not the 

 slightest notice of the other bees, although as dead 

 as this sole object of their care. 



Reaumur watched with anxiety for the signs of 

 returning life in the queen. " At first," says he, 

 " one limb quivered, and after a short interval, the 

 motion was reiterated. No sooner was this evidence 

 of life given, than a humming was instantly heard 

 in the box where previously all had been silence. 

 Many persons who were with me, and who watched 

 the revival of the queen, were struck with the sound 

 as being more acute than usual, and all named it the 

 song of rejoicing."* 



It appears, however, that the workers do not at all 

 times pay the same attention to their queen ; while 

 she continues in a state of infecundity, she seems 

 for the most part an object of indiflference to them ; 

 but as soon as this event has taken place, she is 

 treated with the honour due to the future mother of 

 a populous colon)\ 



" I have," says Huber, " seen workers bestow 

 every attention on a queen, though sterile ; and after 

 her death treat the dead body as they had treated 

 herself when alive, and long prefer it, though inani- 

 mate, to the most prolific queens I offered them." 



* When Schirach had once smoked a hive to oblige the bees to retire 

 to the top of it, the queen with some of the rest flew away. Upon this, 

 thoSe that remained in the hive sent forth a most plaintive sound, as if 

 they were deploring their loss : when their sovereign was restored, their 

 lugubrious sounds were succeeded by an agreeable humming, which 

 announced their joy at the event. Huber says, that once when all the 

 worker brood was removed from the hive, and only male brooa left, the 

 bees appeared in a state of extreme despondency. Assembled in clusters 

 on the combs, they lost all their activity. The queen dropped her eggs 

 at random, and instead of the usual active huir^ a dead silence rcigued 

 in the hive. 



