82 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



three classes of individuals, the mother, commonly called the 

 queen, the working bees, and the drones. There is but one 

 queen in the hive, the mother, and as the instinct which God 

 has granted indicates, the mistress of the swarm. By the month 

 of January and February, in any given year, the population of 

 a hive is reduced by death to its lowest point, for the life of a 

 working bee does not extend beyond eight months, and the 

 deposition of eggs by the queen mother to any great extent, is 

 interrupted during the severe months of winter. About the 

 beginning of March, it recommences, and increases during 

 April, May, and June, to such almost incredible amount, that 

 the sparse winter population of scarcely three thousand, is hur- 

 ried up to twelve thousand, fifteen thousand, and twenty thou- 

 sand and more. And every bee-keeper is aware, that during 

 the swarming months of May, June, and July, a swarming hive 

 is literally overpouring in numbers, and that for want of room 

 and air, in the inside, they hang in countless clusters upon the 

 outside front of the hive. This is no sure indication of swarm- 

 ing, but when a swarm does rise, in time of such crowding, 

 the front of the hive is pretty well cleared of bees. Ten or 

 twelve days more will replenish the population to such extent, 

 that a second swam is not unfrequently sent off. A third 

 swarm sometimes succeeds, but is quite undesirable, as it will 

 be rather small, and is too exhausting to the parent stock, ex- 

 posing it to the attacks of that atrocious enemy of all bees, and 

 pest of all bee-keepers, the bee moth, (Tinea mellonella.) 



The mother bee is easily recognized, by her long, taper body, 

 short wings and slow gait. In ordinary hives, she is seldom, 

 if ever, seen. Before depositing her eggs, she carefully exam- 

 ines the cell, by putting in her head, and if satisfied, she inserts 

 the point of the abdomen, exudes an egg which clings to the 

 side and bottom of the cell, by some adhesive substance with 

 which it is coated. The cells for the reception of worker 

 eggs are the common cells of the comb, those for drones are 

 somewhat larger, and those for queen mothers, larger yet, thim- 

 ble-shajied, and built, mouth downward, upon the edge of the 

 comb. Of worker eggs, the qut^en deposits, say from twelve 

 to thirty thousand, of drone eggs, from five hundred to two 



