38 NATURAL HISTORY. [CH. n. 



arises from the workers having lost their queen; 

 for on restoring- her, tranquillity is instantly re-esta- 

 blished among them, and. what is very singular, they 

 recognise her. This expression must be interpreted 

 literally — for the substitution of another queen is not 

 attended with the same effect, if she be introduced 

 into the hive within the first twenty-four hours after 

 removal of the reigning one. Here the agitation 

 continues, and the bees treat the stranger just as they 

 do when the presence of their OAvn queen leaves 

 them nothing to desire. But if twenty-four hours 

 have elapsed before substituting the stranger queen, 

 she will be well received, and reign from the moment 

 of her introduction into the hive." 



Huber introduced a fertile queen, eleven months 

 old, into a hive which had lost its own twenty-four 

 hours before. Immediately on placing this female 

 stranger on the comb, the workers v/hich were near 

 the spot touched her with their antennae, and pass- 

 ing their trunks over every part of her body, gave 

 her honey. Then these gave place to others, which 

 treated her exactly in the same manner. Vibrating 

 their wings at once, they all ranged themselves in a 

 circle around their adopted sovereign ; hence resulted 

 a kind of agitation, which was gradually communi- 

 cated to other workers situated on the same surface 

 of the comb, and induced them to come and recon- 

 noitre, in their turn, what was going on. These ar- 

 riving, and breaking through the circle formed by 

 the foremost ranks, approached the queen, touclied 

 her with their antennae, and gave her honey. After 

 this little ceremony, they retired, and placing them- 

 selves behind the others, enlarged the circle, where 

 they vibrated their wings without tumult or disorder. 

 When she began to move, the}'^ were so far from op- 

 posing her progress, that they opened the circle at 

 that part towards which she turned, followed her, 

 and surrounded her with a guard. 



The treatment wach they bestow upon a stranger 



