368 PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 



which they often exhibit, and the distrust which for a time (as we shall 

 see hereafter) they usually show towards strange ones even when deprived 

 of their own, one would expect that, rather than permit such a perilous 

 combat, they would unite in the defence of their sovereign, and cause the 

 interloper to perish under the stroke of their fatal stings. But no ; the 

 contest for empire must be between the rival candidates ; no worker must 

 interfere in any other way than that which I have described ; no contend- 

 ing armies must fight the battles of their sovereigns, for the law of succes- 

 sion seems to be " detur fortiori" But to return to my narrative. The 

 legitimate queen appearing inclined to move towards that part of the comb 

 on which her rival was stationed, the bees immediately began to retire 

 from the space that intervened between them, so that there was soon a 

 clear arena for the combat. When they could discern each other, the 

 rightful queen, rushing furiously upon the pretender, seized her with her 

 jaws near the root of the wings, and, after fixing her without power of 

 motion against the comb, with one stroke of her sting despatched her. 

 If ever so many queens are introduced into a hive, all but one will perish, 

 and that one will have won the throne by her own unassisted valour and 

 strength. Sometimes a strange queen attempts of herself to enter a hive: 

 in this case the workers, who are upon the watch, and who examine every 

 thing that presents itself, immediately seize her with their jaws by the 

 legs or wings, and hem her in so straitly with a clustered circle of guards, 

 turning their heads on all sides towards her, that it is impossible for her 

 to penetrate within. If they retain her prisoner too long, she dies either 

 from the want of food or air, but never from their stings. 1 



Here you may perhaps feel curious to know, supposing the reigning 

 queen to die or be killed, and the bees to have discovered their los.s, 

 whether they would then receive a foreigner that offers herself to them or 

 is introduced amongst them. Reaumur says they would do this imme- 

 diately 2 ; but Huber, who had better means of observing them, and studied 

 them with more undivided attention, affirms that this will not be the case, 

 unless twenty-four hours have elapsed since the death of the old queen. 

 Previously to this period, as if they were absorbed by grief at their cala- 

 mity, or indulged a fond hope of her revival, an intruder would be treated 

 exactly as I have described. But when the period just mentioned is past, 

 they will receive any queen that is presented to them with the customary 

 homage, and she may occupy the vacant throne. 3 



I must now beg you to attend to what takes place in the second case 

 that I mentioned, where queens are wanted to lead forth swarms. Here 

 you will, with reason, suppose that nature has instilled some instinct into 

 the bees, by which these necessary individuals are rescued from the fury of 

 the reigning sovereign. 



Did the old queen of the hive remain in it till the young ones were ready 

 to come forth, her instinctive jealousy would lead her to attack them all as 

 successively produced ; and being so much older and stronger, the proba- 

 bility is that she would destroy them, in which case there could be no 

 swarms, and the race would perish. But this is wisely prevented by a 

 circumstance which invariably takes place that the first swarm is con- 

 ducted by this queen, and not by a newly disclosed one, as Reaumur and 

 others have supposed. Previously to her departure, after her great laying 



1 Huber, i. 8G. Eeaum. v. 268. 3 Huber, i. 190. 



