THE EMBRYOLOGY OF THE HONEY BEE 5 



Whether this relation obtains in the bee has so far apparently 

 not been demonstrated. It is at least certain, however, that the 

 egg is generally deposited with the cephalic pole directed out- 

 ward, or toward the mouth of the cell. If, as is in all prob- 

 ability true, this is the position in which it comes from the 

 ovipositor of the queen, then the future caudal pole of the embryo 

 would correspond with the caudal end of the queen, and, since 

 in the ovary of the queen the eggs are disposed parallel to her 

 long axis, the law of Hallez doubtless applies to the honey bee. 

 As is known to every bee keeper, the eggs are commonly 

 placed, one in each cell, at or near the center of its floor. The 

 egg is attached by its smaller or caudal end by means of a minute 

 quantity of an adhesive substance secreted by the queen, and it 

 is thus enabled to stand at right angles to the bottom of the cell. 

 While this is the usual manner in which the eggs are deposited, 

 many deviations from it are frequently observed. These take 

 the form of variations in number and in position. Frequently 

 two or more eggs may be laid in a single cell ; Grassi records 

 finding as many as six ; but this number is frequently exceeded, 

 bee keepers sometimes finding as many as two dozen. Such eggs 

 may or may not be in the same stage of development ; they may 

 be laid separately or adhering to one another. In examples of 

 the case last mentioned it is of interest to note that the adhesive 

 area of the egg is not confined to the caudal pole but extends 

 well up toward the middle of the egg. Variations in position are 

 very common ; for example, the egg may be placed either on its 

 side, or on its posterior end ; against the bottom or the walls 

 of the cell. As far as known such variations as these do not 

 necessarily imply abnormality either in the queen or in the egg, 

 but it is of course impossible for two or more larvae to long 

 continue their development together in a single cell. Probably in 

 most cases, the workers see to it that superfluous eggs are soon 

 removed, although two larvae are occasionally found in a single 

 cell. There is a general belief among bee keepers that such devi- 

 ations in the position or the number of eggs laid in a cell indicate 

 abnormality in the queen, since they most frequently occur when 

 the queen is unfertilised or senile, or in the case of workers be- 

 coming fertile in the absence of a queen and of worker brood. 

 It is of interest to note that, according to Marshall and Dernehl 



