GENERATION OF ANIMALS, III. x. 



The generation of bees is a great '^ puzzle. If it X 

 is a fact that certain fishes are generated without ^®®^- 

 copulation, the same probably occurs among bees as 

 well — or so it seems from appearances. The pos- 

 sible methods are these : Bees must either (a) fetch 

 the offspring ^ from elsewhere (some hold this view) ; 

 in which case the offspring will either have sprung 

 into being spontaneously' or have been produced by 

 some other animal ; or (6) generate the young them- 

 selves ; or (c) fetch some and generate some (this, 

 too, is a \'iew held by certain people, who maintain 

 that the young of the drones only are fetched). If 

 they generate the young themselves, this must be 

 done either with or without copulation ; if with 

 copulation, then either (i) each kind generates its 

 own kind,*^ or (ii) one of the three kinds generates the 

 others, or (iii) one kind unites with another kind. 

 WTiat I mean is, e.g., either (i) " bees " are formed 

 from the union of " bees," drones from the union 

 of drones, kings from the union of kings ; or (ii) all 

 the rest are generated by one kind onlv : e.g., by the 

 kings or leaders as they are called ; or (iii) by the 

 union of drones and " bees " (some people of course 



and workers are produced from similar eggs, though the 

 queen-cells are larger ; but the larva of a Queen is fed on 

 " royal jelly " (a special food produced by the workers) 

 throughout its development, whereas those of workers are 

 fed on this for a short time (3 or 4 days) only, and for the 

 remainder of the time on honey and digested pollen. It is 

 thought that in rare cases the workers may produce Queens 

 and other workers from unfertilized eggs. A worker's 

 development is completed in 3 weeks ; a Queen's in 16 days 

 and a drone's in 24 days. 



* The larvae. 



' The three " kinds " are : " kings " or " leaders " {i.e., 

 queens) ; " bees " (i.e., workers) ; and drones. 



333 



