PHYSIOLOGY. 43 



which he examined. I consider myself peculiarly fortunate 

 in having enjoyed the benefit of the labors of a Naturalist, 

 so celebrated as Dr. Leidy, for microscopic dissections. 

 The exceeding minuteness of some of the insects which he 

 has completely figured and described, almost passes belief. 



On examining this same colony a few days later, I obtained 

 thcjmost satisfactory evidence that these drone eggs were laid 

 by the Queen which had been removed. No fresh eggs had 

 been deposited in the cells, and the bees, on missing her, 

 had commenced the construction of royal cells, to rear if 

 possible, another Queen, a thing which they would not have 

 done, if a fertile worker had been present, by which the 

 drone eggs had been laid. 



Another very interesting fact proves that all the eggs laid 

 by this Queen, were drone eggs. Two of the royal cells 

 were, in a short time, discontinued, and were found to be 

 empty, while a third contained a worm, which was sealed 

 over the usual way, to undergo ils changes from a worm to 

 a perfect Queen. 



I was completely at a loss to-account for this, as the bees hav- 

 ing an unimpregnated drone-laying Queen, ought not to have 

 had a single female egg from which they could rear a Queen. 



At first I imagined that they might have stolen it from 

 another hive, but when I opened this cell, it contained, in- 

 stead of a queen, a dead drone ! 



I then remembered that Huber has described the same 

 mistake on the part of some of his bees. At the base of 

 this cell, was an extraordinary quantiyof the peculiar jelly or 

 paste, which is fed to the young that are to be transformed 

 into queens. The poor bees in their desperation, appear 

 to have dosed the unfortunate drone to death : as though 

 they expected by such liberal feeding, to produce some 

 hopeful change in his sexual organization ! 



