THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST. 



133 



NEW OBSERVATIONS ON 



THE NATURAL HISTORY 



OF BEES. 



Bv Francis Hubkk. 



(Continued from p. 95, Vol III) 



Solicitous to learn its origin, and 

 conjecturing that it might be mas- 

 culine matter, he began to watch the 

 motions of every drone in the hive, 

 on purpose to seize the moment 

 when it should be received by the 



pfrrrc 



He assures us, that he saw several 

 drones insinuate the posterior part 

 of the body into the cells for that 

 purpose. After frequent repetition of 

 the first he entered on a long series 

 of other experiments. 



There was something very spe- 

 cious in this explanation : the exper- 

 iments on which it was founded 

 seemed correct ; and it afforded a 

 satisfactory reason for the prodigious 

 number of males in a hive. At the 

 same time the author had neglected 

 to obviate one strong objection : lar- 

 vae appear when there are no drones. 



From the month of September un- 

 til April, hives are generally destitute 

 of males ; yet, notwithstanding their 

 absence, the queen then lays fertile 

 eggs. 



Thus the prolific matter cannot be 

 required for their impregnation, un- 

 less we shall suppose that it is nec- 

 essary at a certain time of the year, 

 while at every other season it is use- 

 less. 



To discover the truth amidst these 

 facts, apparently so contradictory, I 

 determined to repeat Mr. Debraw's 

 experiments, and to observe more 

 precaution than he himself had done. 

 First, I sought for that matter which 

 he supposes the prolific in cells con- 

 taining eggs. Several were actually 

 found with such an appearance, and 

 during the first day of observation, 

 neither my assistant nor myself 

 doubted the reality of the discovery. 



But we afterwards found it an illusion 

 arising from the reflection of the light 

 for nothing like a fluid was visible ex- 

 cept when the solar rays reached the 

 bottom of the cells. This part is 

 commonly covered by shining frag- 

 ments of the cocoons of worms suc- 

 cessively hatched, and the reflection 

 of the light from these when much 

 illuminated, produces an illusory ef- 

 fect. We proved it by the strictest 

 examination for no vesdges of a 

 fluid were perceptible when the cells 

 were detached and cut asunder. 



Though the first observation in- 

 spired us with some distrust of Mr. 

 Debraw's discovery, we repeated his 

 other experiments with the utmost 

 care. 



On the 6th of August, 1787, we 

 immersed a hive, and with scrupulous 

 attention examined all the bees while 

 in the bath. We ascertained that 

 there was no male, either large or 

 small, and having examined every 

 comb we found neither male nymph 

 nor worm. When the bees were dry 

 we replaced the whole, along with 

 the queen in their habitation, and 

 transported them into my cabinet. 

 They were allowed full liberty ; there- 

 fore they flew about and made their 

 usual collections ; but it being nec- 

 essary that no male should enter the 

 hive during the experiment, a glass 

 tube was adapted to the entrance, of 

 such dimensions that two bees only 

 could pass at once ; and we watched 

 the tube attentively during the four 

 or five days that the experiment con- 

 tinued. We should have instantly 

 observed, and removed any male ap- 

 pearing, that the result of the ex- 

 periment might be undisturbed, and 

 I can positively affirm that not one 

 was seen. 



However, from the first day wliich 

 was the 6th of August, the queen 

 deposited fourteen eggs in the work- 

 ers' cells ; and all these were hatched 

 on the tenth of the same month. 



\_To be continued.'] 



