ORDER VI.—VEIN-WINGED INSECTS. 269 
that these eggs were developed slowly, being hatched by the 
drones, but this is now proved to be impossible, because bees 
are cold-blooded, and that process would be useless, while 
the temperature in a hive is as high as that under a brood- 
hen. The eggs are first developed into maggots which are 
scarcely able to move: they have a mouth like a caterpillar, 
two white eyes, and ten air-holes, which are their respirato- 
ry organs, on the sides of the body. They are fed with 
honey by the workers for about a week, after which time 
their nurses make a wax cover over the cell, and inclose the 
maggot within, which then becomes a pupa, remains ten 
days in this condition, and then breaks open its wax cover, 
creeps out from the cell, dries its wings, runs about over the 
combs for a while, and then flies away out of the hive in 
company with its companions to collect materials and pro- 
visions for the hive. 5 
5th. Tue Swarms.—Of the immense number of eggs 
laid by the queen, those of the workers are laid first, then 
those of the drones, and at last those of the young queens; 
and as the eggs are developed into perfect bees as often as 
every four weeks during the season, the new progeny, with 
a young queen at their head, swarms—that is, they leave the 
hive, and become the founders of a new colony. This emi- 
gration principally occurs during the months of May and 
June, and between 10 o’clock a.m. and 3 o’clock p.m. They 
issue in such crowds that the air looks as if filled with 
snow, and, flying about for a while, finally settle themselves 
upon the limb of a tree, crowded close together, and hang- 
ing one upon another in a lump, which resembles a long 
and bushy beard. It is, therefore, the best plan+o have no 
high trees near the apiary, for if the swarms are obliged to 
fly high up before they lodge on the tree they are frequently 
lost. In such a case some people throw up fine sand into 
the air, which affects the bees like rain, and makes them de- 
scend. In some places they drum with iron upon tin pans, 
