VOL. LXXXII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 177 



Besides the short observations contained in the notes, I beg leave to observe, 

 that I have my doubts respecting the whole of these experiments, from several 

 circumstances which occurred in mine. The 3 following facts appear much 

 against their probability: first, a summer's evening in this country is commonly 

 too cold for so small a parcel of bees to be lively, so as to set about new opera- 

 tions; they get so benumbed, that they hardly recover in the day, and I should 

 suspect that where these experiments were made, and indeed some are said to 

 have been tried in this country, it is also too cold: 2dly, if the weather should 

 happen to be so warm as to prevent this effect, then they are so restless, that 

 they commonly destroy themselves, or wear themselves out; at least, after a few 

 days confinement we find them mostly dead: and 3dly, the account given of the 

 formation of a royal cell, without mentioning the above inconvenience, which 

 is natural to the experiment, makes me suspect the whole to be fabricated. To 

 obviate the first objection, which I found from experiment to prevent any success 

 that otherwise might arise, I put my parcel of bees, with their comb, in which 

 were eggs, as also maggots, and in some of the trials there were chrysalises*, 

 into a warmer place, such as a glass frame, over tan, the surface of which was 

 covered with mould, to prevent the rising of unwholesome air: but from know- 

 ing that the maggot was fed with bee-bread, or farina, I took care to introduce a 

 cell or two with this substance, as also the flowers of plants that produce a great 

 deal of it, likewise some honey for the old ones. In this state my bees were 

 preserved from the cold, as also provided with necessaries; but after being con- 

 fined several days, on opening the door of the hive, what were alive came to the 

 door, walked and flew about, but gradually left it, and on examining the combs, 

 &c. I found the maggots dead, and nothing like any operation going on. 



The queen, the mother of all, in whatever way produced, is a true female, 

 and different from both the labourers and the male. She is not so large in the 

 trunk as the male, and appears to be rather larger in every part than the labour- 

 ers. The scales on the under surface of the belly of the labourers are not uni- 

 formly of the same colour, over the whole scale; that part being lighter which is 

 overlapped by the terminating scale above, and the uncovered part being darker: 

 this light part does not terminate in a straight line, but in 1 curves, making a 

 peak; all which gives the belly a lighter colour in the labouring bees: more 

 especially when it is pulled out or elongated. The tongue of the female is con- 

 siderably shorter than that of the labouring bee, more like that of the male: 



* I chose to have some chrysalises, for I supposed that if my bees died, or flew away, tlie chry- 

 salises when they came out, which would happen in a few days, not knowing where to go, might 

 stay and take care of the maggots that might be hatched from tlie eggs ; but, to my surprise, I 

 found that neither the eggs hatched, nor did the chr)'salises come forth 5 all died : from which I 

 began to suspect that tlie presence of tlie bees was necessary for both. — Orig. 

 VOL. XVII. A A 



