228 



Mr. J. G. Desborough on 



The Grand Total of the six seasons was as below 



Looking at the number of eggs laid by the queen in 

 the six seasons of her life, we find that she was most 

 fertile during the second and third years of her existence ; 

 and although it is proved that the queen can live over 

 five years, yet it does not follow that^ in a state of nature, 

 she may be permitted to reign as the monarch of the 

 hive during that time ; had the queen observed upon 

 been in an ordinary hive which had been allowed to 

 swarm, she would have changed her residence every 

 time a swarm issued, and she would then have acted as 

 the leader thereof; but whether she would have suc- 

 ceeded in establishing herself at the head of five succes- 

 sive colonies is, I think, very doubtful. 



Bee-keepers are well aware of the many times a swarm 

 issues and returns, as is supposed, because they cannot 

 find the queen ; may it not happen that the queen is 

 incapable, from old age, of flying with the swarm to their 

 place of setting, and so is lost ? 



As to the probable ordinary duration of life in the 

 queen when in a state of nature, I am much inclined to 

 place the limit at three or four years, and to assert that 

 the age of my queen, prolonged to five years and four 

 months, was beyond the ordinary duration. I have, how- 

 ever, been extremely careful throughout both my Essay 

 and the Papers in continuation, not to state any facts 

 but those I have personally observed ; and other apiarians 

 as well as myself can draw their conclusions therefrom. 



As to the age of the drone, I can add nothing to my 

 last paper, because, with the exception of the few drones 

 reared in the summer of 1856, none were brought forth. 



With respect to the age of the worker, I kept a recoi'd 

 of the number of bees dying in the hive in the years 

 1855, 1856, and 1857 ; they were,— 



