THE BEE NATION. 213 



and splendid compared with the small and narrow cells of 

 the drones and workers ; this is called the king's or queen's 

 cell, or royal cradle, and is decorated with three-cornered 

 stars, and requires a hundred ^times more wax for its 

 erection than^the ordinary cells, although the wax is of a 

 specially costly substance, difficult to obtain, in the use of 

 which great frugality is otherwise shown by the bees. The 

 young bees divide the wax into thin transparent plates 

 between the somites of their abdomens, and require for this- 

 much food as well as rest and warmth, so that they are only 

 found in the interior of the nest and scarcely ever quit it. 



A queen lives four years as a rule, and so long as she 

 lives and is well all is in order in the state. But if any 

 accident h<ippen to her it is at once noticed by her people ; 

 they become restless, cease work, and make an uneasy noise 

 which can be clearly heard from the interior of the leader- 

 less hive. Attacks from without on the queen are heavily 

 avenged by the bees, so that it is dangerous to take away 

 the queen from a swarm, or to kill her. The much used 

 name of " guide " has been given to the queen, because it 

 was thought that she was a male, and acted as guide or 

 lieutenant during swarming. On the same ground those 

 w r hom the extraordinary attachment of the hive to the sup- 

 posed ruler did not escape, called the old ones kings. From 

 this point of view the Roman poet Virgil, in the 4th song of 

 his famous poem on Agriculture, describes this attachment 

 as follows : 



" Not e'en Egyptian 1 ' in such reverence hold 

 Their sovereigns ; such respect has ne'er been felt 

 By those in Crcesus' spacious realms who dwelt, 

 Nor Scythians, nor those far tribes who live 

 On Indus banks. When safe the queen, the hive 

 Is all at peace : but if they lose their queen 

 Their bond of union is broken ; e'en 

 Themselves they suck their honey-stores ; destroy 

 Themselves their comb's pierced fabric. Their employ 

 Is by the queen arranged : her all regard ; 

 Surround with buzz continuous and guard 

 In swarms ; and oftentimes, when wars aiise, 

 Its queen upon its shoulders raising, dies 

 The bee a noble death through countless wounds."* 



* [Taken from Mr. Millington's metrical translation of the 4th Georgic. 

 Yirgil wrote "king" not '-queen," but his translator has set the poet 

 right ! TH.] 



P 



