314 INSECT MISCELLANIES, 



treated it with equal ridicule*. The subsequent ex- 

 periments, however, of Huber, Dunbar, and others, 

 have now estabhshed the fact beyond all question. 

 " During- ten years," says Huber, " that I have 

 studied bees, I have repeated Schirach's experiment so 

 often and with such uniform success, that I can no 

 long-er entertain the least doubt on the subject." But 

 it also appears that Schirach made several mistakes, 

 supposing-, for example, that it is necessary for the 

 grubs selected for becoming queens, to be at least 

 three days old, and also that the cells which are 

 enlarged for them are precisely similar to those 

 regularly built for queens; neither of which is the 

 fact. It may be as well, for the satisfaction of our 

 readers, to prove the point by experiments made 

 subsequent to the discovery. 



In July, when a mirror-hive had become filled with 

 comb and bees, and well stored with honey, the 

 queen being very fertile, laying a hundred eggs 

 a-day, Mr. Dunbar opened the hive and took her 

 away. It was eighteen hours before the bees ap- 

 peared to miss her, at least they continued their 

 labours ; but no sooner was their loss discovered 

 than all became agitation and tumult, and they 

 rushed to the entrance as if preparing to swarm. 

 They remained, however, in the hive, and immediately 

 set about providing for their loss, as, on the succeed- 

 ing morning, he observed that they had begun no 

 fewer than five royal cells, and by the afternoon four 

 more were founded in a part of the comb containing 

 eggs, which had been deposited only a day or two 

 before. On the fourteenth day after he had removed 

 the queen, a young queen made her appearance, and 

 proceeded towards the other royal cells, for the pur- 

 pose of attacking them. She was, however, pulled 

 * Trans, of the Bath Society. 



