336 THE INSECT WORLD. 



place. The queen being angry at the noise which the young 

 females ready to be hatched are making in their cells, runs 

 about the hive, examines the cells, and endeavours to destroy 

 those which contain the females ; but she meets with a very 

 firm resistance from the workers, who take upon themselves to 

 protect them. She endeavours here and there to lay an egg, 

 but generally retires without having done so. She runs, stops 

 short, sets off again, walks over the bodies of the workers she 

 meets ; sometimes, when she stops, the bees near her stop 

 also, as if to look at her. They advance briskly towards her, 

 strike her with their heads, and mount on her back. She 

 then dashes off, carrying with her some of the workers. Not 

 one of them offers her honey; she takes it herself from the open 

 cells, which are for the use of the whole hive. They no longer 

 draw up in line on each side of her as she moves along, her 

 guard of honour no longer surrounds her ; she seems fallen from 

 her high rank. 



However, the first bees which were disturbed by her now follow, 

 running like herself, and spread alarm in their turn among 

 the rest of the population. The road which the queen has tra- 

 versed is to be recognised by the excitement which she has caused 

 on her passage, and which cannot now be calmed. Yery soon 

 she has visited every corner of the hive, so that the fever has 

 become general. She now no longer lays her eggs in the cells, 

 but lets them fall anywhere at random. She seems to have lost 

 her wits. 



The nurses in their turn are attacked with the contagion. They 

 pay no attention now to their charges. Those which return from 

 the country have no sooner entered the hive than they take part in 

 these tumultuous movements, and give themselves up to the general 

 excitement. Not even thinking of depositing the pellets of 

 pollen which they carry on their legs, they run about apparently 

 without aim. The delirium takes possession of the whole republic. 

 The end of all this is a general sortie. The whole hive, with the 

 queen at its head, precipitates itself towards the door, and issues 

 forth to create a swarm. Once in the fresh air, they become 

 quiet. Their madness subsides, and they fix themselves to a branch 

 of a tree, and having been captured, set to work again as usual. 



