THE BEE IN SUMMEB. H 



21. The Queen's Wedding.— So, in fifteen days from the 

 depositing- of the egg, a virgin queen has opened her astonished 

 eyes upon the hive wliich is to be her home ; upon the restless 

 workers who come and go, and hurry back well laden ; upon 

 the drones, those bulky, strong-winged males whose lives, 

 though short and helpless, are not devoid of joy; upon the 

 combs that hold the nectar stores, and gilt-capped cells of 

 hatching nymphs whose vacant places, when they emerge, 

 she must occupy with living germs that shall produce a 

 multitude, renewing month by month the population wasted by 

 excessive toil. But this, not yet. So far she moves about un- 

 noticed, in constant exploration that knows no instant's rest, 

 and preparation for that wondrous incident which shall entitle 

 her to claim the homage of her people, and to her queenly 

 title add the higher, and more sacred name of " Mother." So 

 far she has not felt the glow of sunshine, nor filled her trachese 

 (36) with the breath of heaven. The eventful hour has not 

 arrived. She must wait a few days more before she stakes 

 herself, and all the secret of the future, upon the hazard of a 

 flight. Then she approaches the entrance, inspecting every- 

 thing, but not daring to venture farther. Again she appears, 

 and hurries up and down ; excited ; impelled by that mysterious 

 exaltation which nature pours out lavishly when great ends are 

 to be accomplished by perilous enterprises. She spreads 

 her wings and rises, quickly noting every little thing that 

 marks the outworks of her citadel, and far more careful in this 

 precaution than drone or worker, because of her exceeding 

 value who carries in her person the hope and destiny of all. 

 Pursuing wider circles she surveys the site until its every 

 feature becomes familiar. Meanwhile upon the open flowers 

 around, or resting on the sunny leaves, are countless drones, 

 observing, each with his magnificent eyes of 26,000 hexagonal 

 lenses (30), the timid virgin's movements. Soon the loud 

 humming of the full-fed males attracts the young queen, and 

 as she enlarges the circles of her flight and passes over them, 

 instantly they are in full pursuit. Here may be observed wise 

 Nature's regulation that gives the battle to the strong, and to 

 the brave the fair. The agile lover ; he whose self-restraint 

 has dipped with temperate appetite into the honey vats, and 

 whose quick power of flight, not lessened by emasculating 

 idleness, is trained and strengthened by sufficient exercise, 

 is first to reach the queen, and in brief ecstacy of that embrace 

 gives all his vigour to the making of a hardy race ; and, giving 

 all, he dies. (42). 



22. Parthenogenesis. — Thus mated once for all, the queen 

 returns and meets a welcome from her people. Never will she 

 leave the hive again, unless the swarming of the colony compels 



