THE HONEY-BEE 65 



apparently appalled at the prospect of the queen- 

 less hive which would result from their killing 

 each other. After a time, however, the combat 

 is renewed and one or other is slain. 



Sometimes when a second queen enters the 

 hive and the reigning queen is busy laying eggs, 

 the presence of the intruder is concealed and 

 a crowd of workers surround her on every side, 

 " balling " her in until she dies of hunger and 

 suffocation, but they never sting her to death. 



For the first few days (from two to six after 

 her birth) the young queen shows no disposition 

 to be married. Then a change occurs. She 

 becomes restless, runs to the hive-mouth and 

 back and presently makes a short experimental 

 flight, for the first time seeing the sun and in- 

 flating to the full her breathing tubes. Soon 

 she takes wider flights, always keeping her head 

 directed to the hive. After a time she is fol- 

 lowed by a group of drones, and as she towers 

 into space one by one these suitors drop off 

 until one, the strongest, remains to mate with 

 her high up in the heavens. The act of mating 

 is fatal to the male. It is thought that he dies 

 of nerve-shock. Whatever the cause, most of 



his body falls dead to the earth, but he leaves 



E 



