THE PASTORAL BEES. 19 



to use her stiletto upon her unhatched sisters. Cases 

 have been known where two queens issued at the 

 eame time, when a mortal combat ensued, encouraged 

 by the workers, who formed a ring about them, but 

 showed no preference, and recognized the victor as 

 the lawful sovereign. For these and many other curi- 

 ous facts we are indebted to the blind Huber. 



It is worthy of note that the position of the queen 

 cells is always vertical, while that of the drones and 

 workers is horizontal; majesty .stands on its head, 

 which fact may be a part of the secret. 



The notion has always very generally prevailed 

 that the queen of the bees is an absolute ruler, and 

 issues her royal orders to willing subjects. Hence 

 Napoleon the First sprinkled the symbolic bees over 

 the imperial mantle that bore the arms of his dynasty ; 

 and in the country of the Pharaohs the bee was used 

 as the emblem of a people sweetly submissive to the 

 orders of its king. But the fact is, a swarm of bees 

 is an absolute democracy, and kings and despots can 

 find no warrant in their example. The power and 

 authority are entirely vested in the great mass, the 

 workers. They furnish all the brains and foresight 

 of the colony, and administer its affairs. Their word 

 is law, and both king and queen must obey. They 

 ^egulate the swarming, and give the signal for the 

 fewarm to issue from the hive ; they select and make 

 ready the tree in the woods and conduct the queen 

 to it. 



The peculiar office and sacredness of the queen 



