360 BRITISH BEES. 



labour is suspended. They group about in clusters of a 

 dozen or more^ and after about a day's intermission of 

 the ordinary routine of labour they appear to have come 

 to a resolution. Bustle is again renewed, and several, 

 as the delegates of the general body, pass into the midst 

 of the neuter brood cells, tear down the separating walls 

 of three, kill two of the very young larvse, convert these 

 three cells into one by fitting alterations, and transfer 

 the care of this vermicle to the nursing bees. Under 

 their care, they heedfuUy feeding her with the royal 

 jelly, her transformations speedily are completed, and 

 whilst this is being done, drones are coming forth. As 

 soon as she is ready she is aided to quit her cell. She 

 now leaves the hive, and the drones which are already 

 perfected accompany her ; she makes her wedding tour 

 in the air, and quickly returns as the queen-regnant of 

 the rejoicing monarchy, whose vacant throne is again 

 royally occupied, and the entire harmony of the hive re- 

 newed. 



The quantity of pollen that is collected in the course 

 of a season, by the diligence of the bees, has been esti- 

 mated at from sixty to seventy pounds ; and the weight 

 of the honey, so afHuent a hive will produce by abstrac- 

 tion from the bees, is calculated at as much as sometimes 

 fifty pounds. This, however, must be vastly exceeded 

 by the quantity collected, as it is being constantly 

 consumed for sustenance, and for the secretion of the 

 raw material of wax, as well as for the production of 

 the liquid which converts this into its mouldable con- 

 sistency. It is possible to estimate pretty nearly the 

 quantity of honey required for each secretion of the raw 

 material, by finding what the honey-bag will contain 

 when gorged, as it is this quantity which seems to make 



