The Zoologist — August, 1870. 2265 



the eggs of queens " are only of one of the same kind, which when they are laid 

 without coming into contact with the male semen become male bees, but, on 

 the contrary, when they are fertilized by male semen produce female bees." 

 J must leave the matter at this point ; although I have ample evidence to 

 prove the impregnation of the ' fertile workers ' as well as the normal queens, 

 and to show how mistake has crept into the microscopic dissections of the eggs, 

 when every egg must be fertilized in passing the spermatotheca, especially if 

 the eggs be all of one size, as has been stated by Dzierzon ; but the entrance of 

 the spermatozoa is at the base of the egg (the future mouth of the larva), and 

 absorption introduces the semen into the egg, as I shall be prepared to show 

 on another occasion. 



" Briefly, my facts are these. A fertile impregnated queen lays eggs, female 

 and male in succession : these are all necessarily fertilized as they descend 

 through the common oviduct whilst passing the spermatotheca ; and each 

 spermatozoon, adhering to the base of the egg, and agglutinated to the cell by 

 the queen, in due time enters the egg, the chorion is broken, and the larva is 

 seen when the small transparent sack is floated in the sugar and water : here 

 I believe the endosmosis process takes place ; as to the development of the 

 larva the first process is the completion of the silk glands, then the main canal 

 seems to be formed more distinctly, the anal passage never being opened until 

 the larva is fully filled, if I may so term it, or the growth of the larva accom- 

 plished, when the spinnerets come into use, and the larva having discharged a 

 small deposit in one corner of the wax cell (which black or brown substance 

 may be seen in cells newly occupied for breeding), the spinning from the 

 foundation commences, and finally the larva, finishing the silken respu-ator at 

 the top, is found with its head upwards, and in due time gnawing its way out at 

 the top, emerges either as a drone or worker from the confined cells, whilst the 

 occupants of the large cells, with the larger supply of jelly and a more rapid 

 absorption of sugar and water or honey and water, emerge as the perfect 

 queens. When the bees raise 'fertile workers,' these never have jelly given 

 them, and are fed up at a later period of their larval stage, and have neither 

 space nor time for expansion." 



July i, 1870. — A. R. Wallace, Esq., President, in the chair. 



Additions to the Library, 

 The following donations were announced, and thanks voted to the donors : — 

 'Bulletin de la Societe Imperiale des NaturaUstes de Moscou,' 1869, Nos. 

 1 — 3 ; presented by the Society. ' Bulletins de I'Academie Royale des 

 Sciences de Belgique,' 2d series, vols, xxvii., xxviii. ; by the Society. ' Ver- 

 handlungeu der k. k. zool.-bot. Gescllschaft in Wicn,' vol. xix.; by the Society. 



