32 



AUSTRALIAN BEE LORE AND BEE CULTURE- 



CHAPTER VII. 



THE QUEEN BEE. 



From these diagrams my meaning will be made clearer : — 

 A is a portion of the internal anatomy of a mother bee ; (a a) the 

 ovaries; (d) the sac (spermatheca), containing the feminine 

 life germs, that is to differentiate the sexual character of the eggs 

 seen in the ovaries ; b is a portion of the same anatomy taken 



from a working-bee. In a, the mother bee's reproductive organs, 

 the ovaries and spermatheca, are perfect. The former contains 

 developed and developing eggs, and the latter is surcharged with 

 feminine life germs. These constitute her completeness. Thus a 

 mother bee is perfect and complete. In b the ovaries and sper- 

 matheca (reproductive organs) are as perfect as they are in a, but 

 the eggs are in embryo and not developing, and the sac is void of 

 feminine life germs. Therefore, the working-bee is as yerftct as a 

 queen, but her reproductive organs are empty. She is incomplete. 

 Neverthless, those eggs in a (a a) contain a life-germ, but it 

 is masculine. Under certain conditions those eggs may never he 

 feminised, notwithstanding they are contained in the ovaries of a 



