NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY-BEE. 39 



and at once conjectured that this was a case of an unim- 

 pregnated drone-laying queen, sufficient time not having 

 elapsed for her impregnation to be unnaturally retarded. 

 All necessary precautions were taken to determine this 

 point. The queen was removed from the hive, and 

 although her wings appeared to be perfect, she could not 

 fly. It seemed probable, therefore, 'that she had never 

 been able to leave the hive for impregnation. 



To settle the question beyond the possibility of doubt, 

 I submitted this queen to Professor Leidy for microscopic 

 examination. The following is an extract from his report. 

 " The ovaries were filled with eggs, the poison-sac .full of 

 fluid; and the spermatheca distended with a perfectly 

 colorless, transparent, viscid liquid, without a trace of 

 spermatozoa." 



This examination demonstrates Dzierzon's theory that 

 queens do not need impregnation to lay the eggs of males. 



Considerable doubt seemed to rest on the accuracy 

 of Dzierzon's statements on this subject, chiefly because 

 of his having hazarded the unfortunate conjecture that 

 the place of the poison-bag in the worker is occupied in 

 the queen by the spermatheca. Now this is so completely 

 contrary to fact (PI. XVm, A, D], that it was a natural 

 inference that this acute and thoroughly honest observer 

 made no microscopic disgections of the insects which he 

 examined. I consider myself peculiarly fortunate, in hav 

 ing obtained the aid of a naturalist so celebrated for 

 microscopic dissections as Dr. Leidy. 



On examining this same colony a few days later, I found 

 satisfactory evidence that these drone-eggs were laid by 

 the queen which had been removed. No fresh eggs had 

 been deposited in the cells, and the bees on missing her 

 had begun to build royal cells, to rear, if possible, another 

 queen ;*this they would not have done, if a fertile worker 



