48 a-'-i^^^ 



immediately solder over the top of the cell with wax, and 

 ];eep her prisoner for about two days. Why? In order, 

 evidently, that she may not, like the young* bees, be unable 

 to fly when she emerg-es from the hive. And this is not 

 left to guess-work. The bees know accurate!}^ when she is 

 ])repared, and most likely, by means of the quality or nature 

 of the sounds she emits, which to man's gTosser ears come in 

 the shape of a number of monotonous notes, so rapidly 

 repeated as almost to combine into one continuous sound. 

 At last she comes forth in her perfect beauty and power. 

 What an hour is that for the bees ; especially for those in- 

 defatigable, careful, admirable, model matrons and house- 

 wives, the nurse-bees ! We envy Mr. Grant the pleasure he 

 once enjoyed of " having* an excellent view of the young* 

 (jueen, about two inches above the entrance, enjoying and 

 cleaning herself, and receiving great attentions from her 

 subjects." But it is in every sense a spring season, with its 

 changeable weathers and moods. The young queen learns 

 — how, we wish some one would tell us — that there are 

 other young* queens, successors and possible rivals, in the 

 hive. She, too, grows excited, whilst, unlike the old queen, 

 she knows not what to do between conflicting impulses. 

 She rushes to the cells — she will tear them open — she will 

 sting* the tenants to death — she will — but no ; the cells are 

 powerfully guarded, it is for the community to determine in 

 a legitimate mode how these vast questions are to be dealt 

 with ; they warn her away ; they bite her if she resists. 

 She would even be in danger, but that, in case of extremity, 

 she is in possession of some magical words (we tell no fairy- 

 tale) that in an instant render the sentinels motionless. But 

 if, taking advantage of this calm, she again approaches the 

 forbidden ground, they recover themselves, and, in military 

 phrase, do their duty. Huber witnessed this most interest- 

 ing scene more than once. He describes the young* queen 

 at such a time as standing with her thorax against a comb, 

 and crossing hei wings upon her back, keeping* them in 

 motion, but not unfolding them, whilst she emitted the dread 

 mysterious sounds, which were responded to by the weaker 

 and hoarser cries of the yet pent-up unborn queens that she 

 seeks to destroy. And what is it the bees want her to do, 

 but learn the lesson bequeathed to her by her predecessor — 



