﻿Duration 
  of 
  Life 
  in 
  the 
  Honey 
  Bee. 
  149 
  

  

  is 
  strong 
  enough 
  to 
  follow 
  the 
  usual 
  order 
  of 
  nature 
  ; 
  the 
  multi- 
  

   plication 
  and 
  the 
  preservation 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  by 
  the 
  natural 
  division 
  

   of 
  swarming 
  has 
  not 
  this 
  year 
  taken 
  place. 
  Why 
  has 
  this 
  instinct 
  

   in 
  the 
  bee, 
  at 
  other 
  times 
  so 
  strong, 
  been 
  disregarded 
  ? 
  Why 
  has 
  

   the 
  natural 
  economy 
  of 
  the 
  hive 
  been 
  disturbed 
  ? 
  What 
  is 
  the 
  

   solution 
  of 
  this 
  paradox 
  ? 
  — 
  the 
  natural 
  death 
  and 
  the 
  renewal 
  of 
  

   the 
  queen. 
  Age 
  and 
  decay 
  have 
  done 
  their 
  work, 
  the 
  natural 
  

   powers 
  of 
  the 
  insect 
  have 
  become 
  exhausted, 
  and 
  she 
  has 
  quietly 
  

   and 
  peacefully 
  departed, 
  leaving 
  her 
  subjects 
  to 
  mourn 
  her 
  loss 
  

   for 
  a 
  short 
  space 
  of 
  time 
  only, 
  for 
  she 
  has 
  left 
  behind 
  her 
  an 
  

   offspring 
  of 
  the 
  royal 
  stock, 
  a 
  successor 
  to 
  the 
  throne 
  is 
  in 
  embryo, 
  

   and 
  .'dl 
  this 
  taking 
  place 
  whilst 
  numbers 
  of 
  drones 
  are 
  in 
  the 
  hive 
  

   produced 
  from 
  eggs 
  laid 
  by 
  the 
  late 
  queen 
  ; 
  no 
  fear 
  need 
  be 
  enter- 
  

   tained 
  of 
  the 
  impregnation 
  of 
  the 
  new 
  queen 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  ensure 
  

   the 
  future 
  existence 
  of 
  the 
  stock. 
  The 
  young 
  queen 
  accordingly 
  

   comes 
  forth, 
  is 
  impregnated, 
  and 
  carries 
  forward 
  the 
  necessary 
  

   routine 
  of 
  the 
  hive. 
  This 
  young 
  queen, 
  like 
  her 
  predecessor, 
  

   begins 
  to 
  lay 
  eggs 
  within 
  five 
  days 
  of 
  her 
  coming 
  to 
  maturity,* 
  

   and 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  a 
  further 
  period 
  of 
  twenty-one 
  days 
  worker 
  

   bees 
  are 
  again 
  added 
  to 
  the 
  poptdation 
  of 
  the 
  hive 
  and 
  all 
  is 
  again 
  

   well 
  ; 
  in 
  fact 
  the 
  hive 
  is 
  now 
  precisely 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  state 
  as 
  the 
  

   hive 
  with 
  which 
  we 
  commenced 
  our 
  proposition, 
  with 
  this 
  excep- 
  

   tion, 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  case 
  the 
  old 
  queen 
  had 
  been 
  disposed 
  of 
  by 
  

   departing 
  with 
  the 
  swarm, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  case 
  she 
  has 
  paid 
  the 
  

   debt 
  of 
  nature 
  — 
  death. 
  

  

  But 
  what 
  proof 
  have 
  we 
  of 
  this 
  state 
  of 
  things 
  taking 
  place 
  

   from 
  the 
  outward 
  appearances 
  of 
  the 
  hive 
  and 
  the 
  proceedings 
  of 
  

   the 
  bees 
  themselves 
  ? 
  We 
  have 
  this 
  : 
  towards 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  

   month 
  of 
  May, 
  or 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  June, 
  we 
  may 
  

   often 
  observe 
  a 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  bees 
  hanging 
  on 
  the 
  outside 
  of 
  

   the 
  hive, 
  sometimes 
  extending 
  a 
  considerable 
  way 
  underneath 
  the 
  

   alighting 
  board, 
  or 
  in 
  any 
  place 
  where 
  a 
  convenient 
  hold 
  can 
  be 
  

   obtained, 
  apparently 
  listless 
  and 
  idle 
  ; 
  no 
  work 
  is 
  going 
  on, 
  

   although 
  honey 
  might 
  be 
  obtained 
  in 
  abundance 
  were 
  the 
  bees 
  in- 
  

   clined 
  to 
  work, 
  and 
  even 
  if 
  the 
  weather 
  should 
  be 
  what 
  the 
  most 
  

   anxious 
  apiarian 
  could 
  desire 
  the 
  bees 
  still 
  remain 
  in 
  this 
  extra- 
  

   ordinary 
  state. 
  Although 
  stimulated 
  in 
  other 
  years 
  to 
  seek 
  another 
  

   abiding 
  place 
  for 
  the 
  over 
  abundant 
  popidation 
  of 
  the 
  hive 
  by 
  

   swarming, 
  this 
  year 
  they 
  seem 
  to 
  have 
  no 
  desire 
  or 
  intention 
  to 
  

   do 
  so 
  ; 
  their 
  natural 
  instinct 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  blunted 
  ; 
  in 
  a 
  word, 
  the 
  

  

  * 
  1852 
  July 
  16 
  Stocked 
  observatory 
  hive 
  with 
  a 
  cast. 
  

   „ 
  ,, 
  21 
  10 
  p.m. 
  Queen 
  depositing 
  eggs. 
  

  

  