1 ERP E=HIsStTORY OF SOMBUS 51 
four systems are known to exist in the worker 
honey-bee. 
The queen larve take longer to attain their full 
size than either the worker or the male larve. Ina 
cluster of cocoons containing both males and queens 
the queens are on top and the males at the sides. 
On an average, taking one nest with another, it 
may be estimated that nearly twice as many males 
as queens are produced. The total number of males 
and queens reared varies from 100 to 500, according 
to the staff of workers. 
In a lapidarius nest a strange scene may be 
witnessed at the laying of the male and queen eggs. 
The workers, hitherto so amiable, are suddenly seized 
with anger and jealousy, for as soon as the queen 
has closed the cell and turned away, one or two of 
them hurriedly commence to bite it open, their wings 
quivering with excitement. The queen, however, 
seems to have expected this behaviour, and, quickly 
returning to the cell, throws down the conspirators, 
repairs the cell, and again departs. But directly her 
back is turned a worker again attacks the cell, and 
again the queen beats it off. And so continues a 
game of attack and defence for five or six hours, 
sometimes one worker, sometimes another, being 
the offender. At last the workers leave the cell 
unmolested. That their object is to destroy the 
eggs is proved by the fact that when sometimes a 
worker succeeds in reaching the eggs I have seen it 
seize one and devour it with much relish. In this 
way many eggs must be destroyed. I have also 
