670 
ergans of generation, the cells are en- 
larged, and a superior and more nourish- 
ing kind of food provided. 
“ Bees,” we are told, “soon become 
sensible of the loss of their queen, and in 
the course of a few hours begin to repair 
$0 serious a calamity. They then select 
the common young grubs, which their 
treatunent is to convert into queens, and 
the first operation is to enlarge the cells 
in which they are deposited. Having 
chosen the proper worm, they sacrifice 
three of the contiguous cells for its habi- 
tation. They next supply it with food 
of a stimulative quality, and raise a cy- 
kindrical enclosure around, by means of 
which the cell becomes a perfect tube, 
with a rhomboidal bottom. But this ha- 
bitation remains suitable for the royal 
grub during no more than the first three 
days of its existence, and another situa- 
tion becomes absolutely necessary for the 
next two. The ceil then must be per- 
pendicular, and nearly pyramidal, to at- 
tain which the workers gnaw away the 
cells surrounding the cylindrical tube, and 
use the wax in constructing a new one of 
a different form, which they fix at right 
angles to the first, and contrive so as to 
work downwards. 
“The diameter of this pyramid de- 
ereases insensibly from the base, which 
is very wide, to the point; and in pro- 
portion as the grub grows, the working 
bees labour to extend the cell, and also 
to supply plenty of food, which they care- 
fully place before its mouth, and around 
its body. As it can only move in a spiral 
direction, it turns incessantly to take its 
necessary portion of nourishment, and 
insensibly descending, at length arrives 
at the orifice of the cell, where it is 
transformed into a nymph.” 
As it had been conceived by some in- 
genious observers, that some of the com- 
mon working bees are capable of laying 
egys, M. Huber, or rather his assistant, 
determined to ascertain the fact. The 
Jatter accordingly proposed to handle 
each bee separately, so as to discover 
whether some queen of a small size had 
not insinuated herself, and deposited eggs 
in a hive in which no queens of the usual 
appearance was discovered. All the 
bees, therefore, were seized one by one, 
and carefully examined, This operation 
occupied eleven whole days, and_ this 
period was required, to examine the 
trunk, the hind legs, and the sting, of 
every individual. After such an Hercu- 
lean task had been finished, witha de- 
gree of care and labour that could arise 
Retrospect of French Literature—Miscellanies. 
a 
out of a love of science alone, it was 
fully ascertained, * that there was not 
one without the usual characteristics of 
the working bee, viz. the long trunk, the 
little basket on the hind legs, and the 
straight sting.” 
An apiary exhibits at one season of 
the year a fine picture of laborious in- 
dustry ; but we learn from a perusal of 
this treatise, that the interior presents at 
times a scene of carnage and destruction, 
arising out of the combats of the queens, 
the massacre of the drones, and the oc- 
casional trepidation of the whole swarm, 
In case a supernymerary queen should 
be unfortunately produced in a hive, a 
mortal combat immediately takes place, 
and the victor is acknowledged as the 
lawful sovereign. Whether they be vir- 
gin queens, queens in a state of impreg- 
hation, or the mothers of a numerous 
family, the same instinctive vengeance is 
uniformly displayed, anda royal intruder 
is treated in the same manuer as a sister. 
Nay, to such a pitch is this carried, that 
a queen will not so much as permit a 
royal cell, for the first hatched sovereign 
soou commences the destruction of the 
palaces of her rivals; while the working 
bees, as if desirous to enjoy the fruits of 
her vengeance, approach to share the 
plunder, by seizing on the food deposited 
for the nourishment of the reyal brood. 
On the other hand, should a queen be 
removed by any accident from a hive, in 
the course of a few hours the news is 
disclosed to all her subjects. A singular 
humming is heard; the young are desert- 
ed, and all is confusion. Should her ma- 
jesty return, or be replaced, the tran- 
quillity of the apiary is instantly restored, 
and the usual labours of its inhabitants 
are resumed, But if another queen be 
placed among them, they soon discover 
the imposture, and death becomes her 
certain fate; for she is immediately sur- 
rounded by the incensed swarm, and is 
either suffocated, or perishes with hun- 
ger, being kept in the most rigorous con- 
finement. It is not a little remarkable 
too, that the working bees never use 
their sting on such an occasion. 
There are times, however, when a royal 
stranger may approach withcut danger; 
for if the queen shall have abdicated 
above eighteen hours, but a slight con- 
finement ensues ; and if twenty-four houys 
have elapsed, she is instantly recognised 
as sovereign. 
As some doubts had taken place rela- 
tive to the manner of the death of the 
drones, M, Huber had recourse to his 
leaf-hive, 
