166 PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 



become tranquil, and none are seen in the air. Before 

 they are housed they often begin to construct a little 

 comb on the branch on which they alighf. Sometimes 

 it happens that two queens go out with (he same swarm ; 

 and the result is, that the swarm at first divides into 

 two bodies, one under each leader ; but as one of 

 these groups is generally much less numerous than the 

 other, the smallest at last joins the largest, accompa- 

 nied by the queen to whom they had attached them- 

 selves; and, when they are hived, this unfortunate 

 candidate for empire falls sooner or later a victim to 

 the jealousy of her rival. Till this great question is 

 decided the bees do not settle to their usual labours*. 

 If no queen goes out with a swarm, they return to the 

 hive from whence they came. 



As in regular monarchies, so in this of the bees, the 

 first-born is probably the fortunate candidate for the 

 throne. She is usually the most active and vigorous ; 

 the most able to take flight; and in the best condition 

 to lay eggs. Though the queen that is victorious, and 

 mounts the throne, is not, as Virgil asserts, resplen- 

 dent with gold and purple, and her rival hideous, sloth- 

 ful and unwieldy % yet some differences are observ- 

 able ; the successful candidate is usually redder and 

 larger than the others : these last, upon dissection, ap- 

 pear to have no eggs ready for laying, while the former, 

 which is a powerful recommendation, is usually full of 

 them. Eggs are commonly found in the cells twenty- 



* Reaumur, 613-644. 



*• " Alter erit nnculis auro squalenlibus ardens, 



(Nam duo sunt genera) hie mdior, insignis et ore, 

 £t rutilis clarus squamis : ille liorridus alter 

 Desidiii, latamque trahens ingloriiis alvum." 



Georg. iv, 91— 



