PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 161 



animate her subjects to the great undertaking which 

 she now meditates — the founding of a new empire. 

 There sometimes seem to happen suddenly amongst 

 them, says Reaumur, events which put all the bees in 

 motion, for which no account can be given. If you ob- 

 serve a hive with attention, you may often remain a 

 long time and hear only a slight murmur, and then, all 

 in a moment, a sonorous hum will be excited, and the 

 workers, as if seized with a panic terror, may be seen 

 quitting their various labours, and running off in differ- 

 ent directions. At these moments if a young queen goes 

 out, she will be followed by a numerous troop. 



Huber has given a very lively and interesting ac- 

 count of the interior proceedings of the hive on this oc- 

 casion. The queen, as soon as she began to exhibit 

 signs of agitation, no longer laid her eggs with order as 

 before, but irregularly, as if she did not know what she 

 was about. She ran over the bees in her way ; they in 

 their turn struck her with their antennae, and mounted 

 upon her back ; none offered her honey, but she helped 

 herself to it from the cells in her path. The usual 

 homage of a court attending round her was no longer 

 paid. Those however that were excited by her motions 

 followed her, rousing such as were still tranquil upon 

 the combs. She soon had traversed the whole hive, 

 when the agitation became general. The workers, now 

 no longer attentive to the young brood, ran about in all 

 directions ; even those that returned from foraging, be- 

 fore the agitation was at its height, no sooner entered 

 the hive than they participated in these tumultuous 

 movements, and, neglecting to free themselves from the 

 masses of pollen on their hind legs, ran wildly about. 



VOL. II. M 



