THE HONEY-BEE. 61 



about the fifth day of her age ; and she continues 

 to deposit eggs of the same kind for the succeeding 

 eleven months; after which she commences laying 

 those of males. It is during the depositing of 

 these last, that the Bees are led by their instinct to 

 lay the foundation of royal cells, in which, if the 

 population be abundant, the Queen deposits eggs at 

 intervals of one or two days between each. In the 

 operation of laying, which we have a thousand times 

 witnessed, the Queen puts her head into a cell, and 

 remains in that position about a second or two, as if 

 to ascertain whether it is in a fit state to receive the 

 deposit. She then withdraws her head, curves her 

 body downwards, inserts her abdomen into the cell, 

 and turns half round on herself ; having kept this 

 position for a few seconds, she withdraws her body, 

 having in the mean time laid an egg. The egg itself, 

 which is attached to the bottom of the cell by a glu- 

 tinous matter with which it is imbued, is of a slender 

 oval shape, slightly curved, rather more pointed 

 in the lower end than in the other. She passes on 

 from cell to cell, furnishing each with the germ 

 of a future inhabitant ; arid during these proceedings, 

 she receives the most marked and affectionate atten- 

 tion from the workers. She is seen continually 

 surrounded by a circle of them, who caress her fondly 

 with their antenna, and occasionally supply her with 

 food from their probosces. This appearance has 

 given rise to the notion commonly entertained, and 

 asserted even by some Naturalists, that the Queen is 

 followed in her progress through the hive by a num 



