2 6o THE HUMBLE-BEE 



A looked after her brood energetically for 

 several days and laid more eggs, but B was 

 generally drowsy. On May 13, however, both 

 queens were incubating the brood. The paralysis 

 of As hind left tibia had increased, and, in con- 

 sequence of her inability to use this limb, the left 

 side of her abdomen had become clogged with wax. 

 May 14. At a distance of a quarter of an inch 

 from the brood a waxen cell has been constructed 

 f in. in diameter and \ in. deep. This, I think, was 

 an attempt at a honey-pot, but no honey was ever 

 placed in it. 



About this date two or three batches of eggs 

 were laid in cells adjoining the first egg cell. The 

 queens continued to live on friendly terms with one 

 another, sometimes the one sometimes the other 

 incubating the brood, until May 26, when A 

 killed B. Such a long -continued friendship of 

 two incubating queens was unique in my experi- 

 ence, and I attributed it to the fact that both were 

 maimed. 



On May 29 A's paralysed tibia, which had 

 been dead and useless for some days, dropped oft. 

 An enormous quantity of wax had now accumulated 

 on the left side of her abdomen, and as this greatly 

 impeded her movements, I determined after I had 

 examined it to remove it. The wax had exuded 

 from the base of each of the dorsal segments except 

 the 1st and the 2nd, and formed lumps which 

 extended nearly half-way across the abdomen. The 

 lump at the base of the 5th segment was by far the 



