38 HISTORY AND PHYSIOLOGY. 



" construct the ROYAL CELLS, in which the queens, 

 without discontinuing the laying of male eggs, de- 

 posit, at the interval of one, two or three days, tJwse 

 eggs from which the queens are successively to 

 spring" This laying of the eggs of drones, which 

 is called the great laying, usually happens in May. 

 There seems to be a secret relation between the 

 production of these eggs, and the construction of 

 royal cells : the laying commonly lasts thirty days, 

 and regularly on the 20th or 21st day, as has been 

 already observed, royal cells are founded. When 

 the larvce, hatched from the eggs laid by the queen 

 in the royal cells, are ready to be transformed to 

 nymphs, this queen leaves the hive, conducting a 

 swarm along with her. A swarm is always led off 

 by a single queen ; and Huber remarks that it was 

 necessary for instinct to impel the old queen to 

 lead forth the first swarm ; for, being the strongest, 

 she w r ould never fail to overthrow the younger 

 competitors for the throne, near which " the jea- 

 lous Semiramis of the hive will bear no rival." 

 The queen, having finished her laying of male 

 eggs and of royal eggs, prior to her quitting the 

 old hive, is ready to commence, in the new one, 

 with the laying of workers' eggs, workers being 

 first needed, in order to secure the continuance 

 and prosperity of the newly founded common- 

 wealth. The bees that remain in the old hive 

 take particular care of the royal cells, and prevent 



