PERFECT SOCIETIES OlF INSECTS. 1^7 



bees to havie discovered their loss, whether they would 

 then receive a foreigner that offers herself to them or 

 is introduced amongst them. Reaumur says they would 

 do this immediately ^ ; but Huber, who had better means 

 of observing them, and studied them with more undi- 

 vided attention, affirms that this will not be the case, 

 unless twenty-four hours have elapsed since the death 

 of tlie old queen. Previously to this period, as if they 

 were absorbed by grief at their calamity, or indulged 

 a fond hope of her revival, an intruder would be treated 

 exactly as I have described. But when the period just 

 mentioned is passed, they will receive any queen that 

 is presented to them with the customary homage, and 

 she may occupy the vacant throne''. 



I must now beg you to attend to what takes place in 

 the second case that I mentioned, where queens are 

 wanted to lead forth swarms. Here you will^ with 

 reason, suppose that nature has instilled some instinct 

 into the bees, by which these necessary individuals are 

 rescued from the fury of the reigning sovereign. 



Did the old queen of the hive remain in it till the 

 young ones were ready to come forth, her instinctive 

 jealousy would lead her to attack them all as succes- 

 sively produced ; and being so much older and stronger, 

 the probability is, that she would destroy them ; in 

 which case there could be no swarms, and the race 

 would perish. But this is wisely prevented by a cir- 

 cumstance which invariably takes place — that the first 

 swarm is conducted by this queen, and not by a newly 

 disclosed one, as Reaumur and others have supposed. 

 Previously to her departure, after her great laying of 



* Rcaum. v, 'i68. " Iluhrr, i. 190, 



L 2 



