82 PARTHENOGENESIS 



legist who is in search of these filaments. To this we may 

 further add, that in Bees' eggs the seminal filaments have not to 

 penetrate through a thick albuminous layer before reaching the 

 chorion, as is so frequently the case in other insects, but that 

 they are deposited almost immediately upon the micropylar 

 apparatus, and consequently can penetrate through its canals in 

 a very short time. Lastly, if we consider the difficulties which 

 are thrown in the way of the microscopic preparation of the 

 Bee's egg by the great elasticity and the delicate texture of the 

 chorion, we can hardly complain of an observer if he has not 

 arrived at any satisfactory result in this case. I admit freely, 

 that the investigation of the Bee's egg has been the most diffi- 

 cult of ail the numerous investigations of this kind which I have 

 undertaken during the last two summers." 



By an unlucky chance, Leuckart whilst in Seebach found 

 no opportunity of examining perfectly fresh-laid Bees' eggs, 

 and at the time when Leuckart undertook these investigations, 

 Von Berlepsch could by no means bring a queen to deposit 

 her eggs. As the result of these Seebach studies, therefore, 

 Leuckart could only furnish the editor of the Bienenzeitung 

 with the following information : " But you wish, then, to 

 know to what my investigations have led in general? I reply 

 that on two occasions only I met with some undoubted seminal 

 filaments upon the micropyle of Bees' eggs ; on one occasion a 

 single filament, on the other several, four or five (arid yet I have 

 most carefully examined more than fifty Bees' eggs !). On both 

 occasions it was upon worker-eggs that I found the seminal 

 filaments. In drone-eggs I have never been able to distinguish 

 a seminal filament, although I probably examined more drone- 

 eggs than worker-eggs, and amongst these such as had been laid 

 at the utmost a quarter of an hour previously. You see, the 

 result is doubtful. At all events it appears rather to speak in 

 favour of, than against, Dzierzon ; but I must again repeat that 

 this appearance is possibly deceptive. In the interest of science, 

 it would delight me exceedingly if other observers should be 

 more fortunate than I have been in this respect." 



For the satisfaction of Leuckart I may state here, that I have 

 actually been more fortunate than him, and that I have seen 

 what his eyes did not succeed in beholding. " Until " (so 



