THE HONEY-BEE. 73 



lifeless remains out of the hive. There are cases 

 however, in which this destruction of males does 

 not take place. fc In hives that have lost their 

 queen/' says Huber, "the males are spared; and, 

 while a savage massacre rages in other hives, they 

 here find an asylum. They are tolerated and fed, 

 and many are seen even in the middle of January." 

 The cause of this may perhaps he looked for in the 

 additional heat which they would generate in winter ; 

 or perhaps they may he preserved for the purpose of 

 pairing with a new queen. 



On the Impregnation of the Queen-Bee. In look- 

 ing into a hive in spring or summer, the Queen will 

 be seen laying eggs in the cells ; in the smaller cells, 

 those of workers, and in the larger those of males or 

 drones. These eggs, if examined on the fourth day 

 from their being deposited, will be found hatched, 

 and a small worm produced, which is floating in a 

 whitish liquid, ascertained to be food introduced foi 

 the nourishment of the infant brood; and in due 

 time a perfect bee emerges from the cell. But how 

 is this living animal generated ? The Queen lays 

 the egg without doubt, and the insect is evolved 

 from it ; but Low is the egg fecundated or rendered 

 fertile? Has the Queen had personal union with 

 the male ? No one can speak positively to such a 

 fact ; by what other means, then, is this effect pro- 

 duced? 



The impregnation of the Queen-Bee is a branch of 

 Natural History which has given rise to more dis- 

 cussion than almost any other fact, connected with 



