on the Honey Bee. 195 



night may be observed feeding on the bee bread j indeed almost 

 every cell containing pollen will have a bee half in the cell eating 

 the pollen — the pollen is mixed with honey, and this is likewise 

 done in the night, as the cells containing bee bread fresh brought 

 into the hive may be seen in an afternoon dry and the pellets may 

 be distinguished, but the next morning all traces of such pellets 

 will be gone, and the surface of the pollen in every cell will be 

 smooth and evidently mixed with honey. 



The result then of the observations made during the period of 

 two years and a half is the proof of these two facts in bee eco- 

 nomy, viz., that the impregnation of the queen extends over 

 more than one season, and that the food of the bee in the grub 

 state is honey, and not farina or pollen. Though these may not be 

 considered very important, yet when they can be asserted not 

 merely as speculative theories, but as clearly demonstrated facts, 

 it must be a further step to the more perfect knowledge of the 

 habits of the insect. 



Since the preparation of the Essay, in December, 1852, I have 

 certainly continued the observations with a view to prove the con- 

 clusions drawn by me as to the duration of life in the bee. As to 

 the queen, the time of direct observation has not yet been ex- 

 tended sufficiently to add to anything said in the Essay as to her 

 life : as to the drone, in the year 1853 none were brought to per- 

 fection, and in 1854 they were killed at the ordinary time as in a 

 common hive; and as to the worker the calculation of the numbers 

 produced, and the state of the hive in the spring, especially at the 

 period when the longest lived bees die off, are so confirmatory of 

 my views as to their duration of life, that I have no hesitation in 

 reiterating, that the maximum period of the life of the worker bee 

 is eight months. 



In the winter of 1853-4, I omitted to note the number of dead 

 bees from time to time removed by me — during this present winter 

 I have done so, and I am much inclined to think that great assist- 

 ance will be obtained thereby in determining positively the dura- 

 tion of their life; but as I have only brought this paper down to 

 the end of the year 1854, I hope on a future occasion to have the 

 pleasure of continuing my history of the observatory hive, and 

 stating at length the result of future observations. 



One of the conditions under which the Prize Essay was sent to 

 the Entomological Society being that it vmst "present the result of 

 original experiments, it was of course prepared to meet that view: 

 and i^ continuing the present paper the same course has been 

 followed, and any reference to published works on the subject 



o 2 



