HISTORY AND PHYSIOLOGY. 37 



thority of Mr. Hunter, in page 34-, with respect 

 to the silk -moth and other insects, gives counte- 

 nance to that opinion : nor do I see its inconsis- 

 tency with the discovery made by Huber. Though 

 there is reason to believe that the act proves fatal 

 to one devoted drone, yet those that are so fortu- 

 nate as to obtain the first favours of her majesty, 

 may escape uninjured. If the conjecture which I 

 have thus hazarded be correct, it will appear less 

 surprising that so many drones should be brought 

 into existence. 



The queen begins to lay her eggs as soon as a 

 few portions of comb are completely formed. By 

 the time that combs five or six inches square are 

 constructed, eggs, honey and bee-bread will be 

 found in them. Huber states that the laying 

 usually commences forty-six hours after the inter- 

 course with the male; and that during the eleven 

 succeeding months, the eggs of workers only are 

 laid ; after which a considerable and uninterrupted 

 laying of drones' eggs commences. This period may 

 be retarded by the temperature of the atmosphere. 

 Huber relates an instance where, the weather hav- 

 ing become suddenly cold, after an impregnation 

 which took place on the 31st of October, that 

 queen did not lay till the March following. The 

 effects of retardation will be noticed presently. 

 Twenty days after the queen has begun to lay the 

 eggs of drones, "the working bees" says Huber, 



