THE INHABITANTS OF THE HIVE 31 



comes out, she runs about over the comb, taking 

 exercise on her own royal legs, and perhaps taking 

 a little honey out of the cells on her own account; 

 especially does she hunt for other queen cells, for 

 she has no wish to share her duties or honours with 

 another. If she finds such a cell, she usually makes 

 a hole in its side, and in some way, she stings to 

 death the hapless princess within. Some observers 

 claim that she merely takes the initiative, tearing 

 down the wall of the cell, and the bees finish by 

 tearing it down as they w^ould any broken comb, and 

 destroy the inmate in the process. If, in her prome- 

 nade, she discovers another full-grown queen, a 

 contest ensues; it is a duel to the death and the 

 weapons are stings, which are kept sacred for this 

 special occasion. It is interesting that the queen 

 reserves her weapon for her peers, and never attempts 

 to sting workers, and may be handled fearlessly by 

 the bee-keeper. As the plate armour of the bee is 

 so arranged that the sting may enter in only at certain 

 spots, this duel resolves itself into a fencing match, 

 until one thrusts her weapon into some vulnerable 

 portion of the other. One morning we found fifteen 

 dead queens outside of one of our hives; a grim 

 tribute to the prowess of the queen within, and quite 

 as much a tribute to our carelessness in letting so 

 many queens be developed uselessly. 



The belligerent attitude of the queens toward each 

 other seems to have been so strong an emotion that a 

 voice has been developed to express it, and is eloquent 

 with rage and fear. This note must be heard to be 



