IN THE HONEY-BEE. 89 



the existence of seminal filaments, in which movements could 

 even be detected in three eggs. Of the other twenty -two eggs, 

 twelve were unsuccessful in their preparation. At the same time 

 I may also indicate particularly, that the observations with posi- 

 tive and negative results followed each other quite irregularly, 

 but alternating at very short intervals, which probably was only 

 dependent upon the favourable or unfavourable consequences of 

 my preparation of the eggs employed for observation. If the 

 question is to be raised, why Leuckart was not so fortunate as 

 to see what I have succeeded in seeing, I can make no other 

 answer, but that probably the different method followed by us 

 in our investigations, is to be blamed for Leuckart's want of 

 success. Berlepsch informed me, that Leuckart did not exa- 

 mine the contents of the eggs by the careful compression of the 

 Bee's egg, but that he confined himself to submitting the eggs 

 in a perfectly uninjured state to an external examination. 



It is certainly to my mode of investigation alone that I am 

 indebted for the successful result of these observations, which 

 were made with an excellent microscope of Kellner's. The 

 careful rupture of the egg- membrane effected always by me, 

 must prove an extremely important manipulation, for by this 

 alone was it possible evidently to isolate the delicate seminal 

 filaments w T hich had penetrated into the cavity of the egg and 

 become concealed by the yelk-mass, as, after penetrating into 

 the egg they probably continue adhering for some time to the 

 micropylar apparatus by their caudal extremity and remain 

 behind, isolated in the upper empty portion of the cavity of the 

 egg during the issue of the yelk-mass after the rupture of the 

 membranes. 



Above all things, however, it was of consequence to me that 

 I should be able to examine male eggs (drone-eggs) also in 

 exactly the same way, and Herr von Berlepsch actually pro- 

 cured me the means of doing this, although at first he had given 

 me but little hope of obtaining such drone-eggs even in small 

 number. It was truly a chef-d'oeuvre to obtain drone-eggs at so 

 late a season : how my acute and experienced friend as it were 

 compelled a queen to lay male eggs, the reader will be able to 

 understand from what follows. 



In No. 7^ of his Bee-hives, Herr von Berlepsch possessed a 



