234 THE BEE NATION. 



swarm, but not before she has laid eggs in the royal cells, 

 out of which new queens develop after her departure. But 

 the all-presaging and care-taking working-bees do not build 

 these cells until they see the queen busy laying drones' eggs, 

 for it is only after this laying that the body of the queen is 

 thin and light enough to take flight. Also, as said above, 

 the hive must be sufficiently populous, that is, the bees must 

 have a surplus number large enough to make a swarm. If 

 this be not the case, the building of royal cells is left undone, 

 even though the queen be occupied in laying drones' eggs. 

 Sometimes the excitement in a hive during swarming is so 

 great and infectious that nearly all, or the greater part, of 

 the bees therein take part in it, and the hive would seem 

 deserted if the great number of the bees abroad and foraging, 

 as well as the emergence of the young broods, did not quickly 

 refill it. 



Very interesting also is the way in which the bees guard 

 the royal cells and the future queens contained therein from 

 attacks of the already emerged and free queens during the 

 time of swarming. All the cells are carefully watched by 

 a number of workers, and as soon as the queen approaches 

 them she is pinched, pulled and bitten until she retreats. 

 This proceeding is often repeated during the day. As soon 

 as the queen, standing still and leaning her breast against the 

 comb, begins her accustomed song, it is as though the bees 

 were electrified : they bend their heads and remain motion- 

 less. But as soon as the singing ceases the charm is over, 

 and the renewed attempts of the queen to destroy the royal 

 cells are repulsed in the same way. The enclosed and im- 

 prisoned queens, which do not venture or are not allowed to 

 leave their cells so long as an emerged queen is calling, now 

 and then push their proboscis through a little hole they have 

 made in the wax, and let themselves be fed by the guards 

 with honey. As soon as this is done they draw back the 

 proboscis and the chink is waxed up again by the bees. The 

 bees are able to distinguish the relative ages of each of the 

 queens, and let them out of their cells exactly in order of 

 age. It has already been said that they are able to volun- 

 tarily change or decide the time of their maturity. 



When many swarms have been thrown off in this way, 

 the number of the remaining bees is at length so small that 

 they are no longer numerous enough to properly watch the 



