50 CLASSIFICATION, PHYSIOLOGY, ETC. 



It is on this fact that artificial division or formation 

 of colonies, is founded. 



When a number of queen cells remain in a hive 

 that does not intend to swarm any more, the first 

 queen out destroys all her embryo sister queens, by 

 gnawing into the cells, and either biting or stinging 

 them. The workers then carry out the dead and 

 demolish the mutilated cells ; this is usually done the 

 first day of the existence of the queen. 



If it is intended that other swarms shall issue, the 

 royal cells are not destroyed. But after the swarms 

 have all departed, the remaining royal pupa is de- 

 stroyed. 



It has been asserted that the bees guard the royal 

 cells from the attacks of the queen. This statement 

 I consider mere assertion, not founded on fact. My 

 reasons for this belief are, first, that the instinct of the 

 bees (the queen included) is perfect in every par- 

 ticular relating to their increase. Then why guard 

 the cells ? Second, I have in two instances seen a 

 young queen running over and around the royal cells, 

 stopping every two or three minutes, and with her 

 wings making the piping noise.* 



The bees neither seemed to notice her, or the 

 royal cells. Whether the workers had previously 

 given her to understand that she must not molest 

 them, or that they ever prevent a queen from doing 

 so, is more than I can tell, notwithstanding Huber, 



* This discovery is due to A. Harbison. 



