86 THE BROOD. 



attach the egg to it ; "but, in fact, the Queen lays 

 when the cell is merely founded, and not deeper than 

 that of a common bee, and it is not until the precious 

 deposit has been made, that the workers lengthen it 

 to the full size. The egg destined to produce a 

 Queen, like that which is laid in a drone-cell and that 

 of a worker, is three days old before it is hatched ; as 

 soon as this takes place, the royal larva becomes an ob- 

 ject of devoted attention to the bees, who watch over 

 and feed it with unremitting attention and care. " It 

 is difficult," says M. Feburier, ' ' to form an idea of the 

 anxious care and attention bestowed by the bees 

 on the royal larva. The comparison of the affection 

 of a mother for an only child can alone furnish any 

 thing like a conception of it. They seem to feel that 

 their own fate is involved in that of their young sove- 

 reign; they feed her with a jelly different from that 

 which is destined for the workers and males ; it is 

 more pungent, and moderately acid ; and they supply 

 it in such profusion that she is unable to consume 

 it all, for, after her transformation, some remains of 

 it are found at the bottom of the cell/' 



At the end of the fifth day of the larva state, the 

 royal cell is closed, and the inhabitant begins spinning 

 her cocoon. It is worthy of remark, that this cover- 

 ing is left incomplete, unlike those of the workers and 

 males, which inclose the whole body. This fact 

 beautifully demonstrates the admirable art with which 

 the Author of nature has connected the various cha- 

 racteristics of this interesting tribe of his creatures. 

 And the fact now under consideration is one of no 



