6 INTRODUCTION. 



subject^ which incited them to inquire after the laws, according 

 to which the asexual reproduction, previously regarded as an 

 exception and now characterized by the name of Alternation of 

 Generation, occurs disseminated amongst the lower animals, 

 together with sexual generation. 



By the entomologists the physiology of reproduction has been 

 very scantily enriched of late, as most of them found their task 

 only in rectifying the species of Insects ; many of them endea- 

 voured, at the expense of much time and trouble, to determine 

 those species which have been furnished with names by Linnaeus 

 and Fabricius, whilst the majority found a still greater pleasure 

 in enriching the systematic catalogues of Insects with a few 

 perfectly new, although extremely insignificant species. 



As up to a very recent period the Apiarians formed a sort 

 of close corporation, wishing to answer the most important 

 questions relating to the reproduction of the Bees amongst 

 themselves, it may thus have happened that the fruits with 

 which the knowledge of the history of reproduction was enriched 

 by the labours of modern naturalists, could not be perceived at 

 all by this close and short-sighted circle, and consequently could 

 not be made use of by them. Nor did any voice ever force its 

 way out of their circle which might have called in the assistance 

 of the physiologists in the decision of certain problems in the re- 

 production of the Bees. Only within the last three years has the 

 demeanour of the Apiarians changed in a most satisfactory way, 

 and it must be said, in praise of the present circle of Apiarians, 

 that at this moment it numbers amongst its members, men who 

 have arrived at a conviction that Bee-life does not merely serve 

 to furnish man with wax, honey and mead, but that it consti- 

 tutes an extremely remarkable link in the great and most multi- 

 fariously composed chain cf animal existence, the importance of 

 which, however, can only be understood by the assistance of 

 knowledge such as is furnished by the present development of 

 the Natural Sciences. By the activity of these enlightened men 

 a complete revolution has taken place in Bee-keeping ; a rational 

 process introduced by the Apiarians, and rewarded by the richest 

 results, now celebrates the most complete triumph over empiri- 

 cism, and in this the names of Dzierzon and Berlepsch above 

 all deserve to be named as conquerors. 



