HISTORY AND PHYSIOLOGY. 43 



ing transportation. A somewhat similar circum- 

 stance was noticed by Mr. Dunbar in his mirror 

 hive. (For an account of this hive see Chap. X.) 

 Mr. Dunbar observed that whenever the queen 

 dropped her eggs carelessly, they were eagerly 

 devoured by the workers. Now if transpor- 

 tation formed a part of their employment, they 

 would in these cases, instead of eating the eggs, 

 have deposited them in their appropriate cells. It 

 seems very evident therefore that the proper dis- 

 position of the eggs is left entirely to the instinct 

 of the queens. The workers having been seen to 

 run away with the eggs, in order to devour them, 

 in all probability gave birth to the mistaken notion 

 that they were removing them to their right cells. 

 Among humble-bees, there is a disposition, among 

 the workers, to eat the eggs, which extends even 

 to those- that are laid in proper cells, where the 

 queens often have to contend for their preserva- 

 tion. 



After the season of swarming, viz. towards the 

 end of July, as is well known, a general massa- 

 cre of the drones takes place. The business of fe- 

 cundation being now completed, they are regarded 

 as useless consumers of the fruits of others labour, 

 "fruges consumere nati ;" love is at once convert- 

 ed into furious hate, and a general proscription 

 takes place. The unfortunate victims evidently 



