362 PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 



of an Apiarian Society established at Little Bautzen in Upper Lusatia. 

 He observed that bees, when shut up with a portion of comb containing 

 only worker brood, would soon erect royal cells, and thus obtain queens : 

 — the experiment was frequently repeated, and the result was almost uni- 

 formly the same. In one instance he tried it with a single cell, and it suc- 

 ceeded.^ This curious fact was communicated to the celebrated Bonnet, 

 who, though he hesitated long before he admitted it, was at length fullv 

 convinced. M. Wilhelmi (Schirach's brother-in-law), though at first he 

 accounted for the fact upon other principles, and objected strongly to the 

 doctrine in question, induced by the powerful evidence in favour of it, at 

 last gave up his former opinion, and embraced it. And, to mention no 

 more, the great Aristomachus of modern times, M. Huber, bv experiments 

 repeated for ten years, was fully convinced of the truth of Schirach's po- 

 sition.^ 



The fact in question, though the public attention was first called to it 

 by the latter gentleman, had indeed been practically known long before he 

 wrote. M. Vogel, in a letter to Wilhelmi, asserts that numerous expe- 

 riments confirming tiiis extraordinary fact had been made by more than a 

 hundred different persons, in tlie course of more than a hundred years ; 

 and that he himself had known old cultivators of bees who had unanimously 

 declared to him, that, when proper precautions were taken, in a practice 

 of more than fifty years, the experiment had never failed.' Signer Monti- 

 celli, the Neapolitan professor before mentioned, informs us that the 

 Greeks and Turks of the Ionian Islands know how to make artificial 

 swarms ; and that the art of producing queens at will lias been practised 

 by the inhabitants of a little Sicilian island called Favignana, from very 

 remote antiquity ; and he even brings arguments to prove that it was no 

 secret to the Greeks and Romans*, though, had the practice been common, 

 it would surely have been noticed by Aristotle and Pliny. 



Bonner, a British apiarist, asserts that he has had successful recourse 

 to the Lusatian experiment*; and Mr. Payne of Shipdam in Norfolk (wiio 

 for many years has been engaged in the culture of bees, and has paid par- 

 ticular attention to tiieir proceedings) relates that he well remembers that 

 the bees of one of iiis hives, which he discovered had lost their queen, were 

 engaged in erecting some royal cells upon the ruins of some of the com- 

 mon ones. He also informs me that he has found Huber's statements, as 

 far as he has had an opportunity of verifying them, perfectly accurate.® 



As I think you will allow that the evidence just detailed to you is 



1 Bonnet, x. 



~ lluber, i. 132. 5 Schiracli, 121. 



4 Huber, ii. 453. * Bonner On Bees, 56. 



*> Tlie same gentleman subsequently sent me the following memoranda: — 



July 10. 1820. A late second swarm was hived into a box constructed so that 

 each comb could be taken out and examined separately. On the 7th of August the 

 queen was removed, and each comb taken out and closely examined ; there was 

 not the least appearance of any royal cells, but mucli brood and eggs in the common 

 ones. On the 14th, three royal cells were observed nearlj- finished, with a large 

 grub each. On the lOtb, the three cells were sealed. On the ISth and 21st, they 

 remained in tlie same state. On the 22d, two queens were found hatched ; one was 

 removed, and the otlier left with the stock, the remaining royal cell being still closed. 

 On the morning of the 2od, a dead queen was thrown out of the hive ; upon which 

 examination being made, the royal cell left closeil on the 22d was found open, and 

 a living queen in the stock, which was allowed to remain. 



