THE BEE. 



34. We tave already stated that the king-consort never sur- 

 vives the bridal day. As this does not affect the conjugal fidelity 



Ovaries 



Oviducts 

 Sperm reservoir 



Venom duct ( 

 Fig, 16. — Ovaries of tlie queeu and their appendages. 



of her majesty, who never allows a successor to her departed 

 lord, so neither does it impose any limit to the posthumous off- 

 spring which she bears to him. Small as are the ovaries, or egg 

 organs, which are shown highly magnified in fig. 16, her majesty, 

 according to Huber, generally produces from them about 12000 

 eggs in the short interval of two months, being at the average 

 rate of 200 per day. 



Although her majesty does not continue so prolific during the 

 remainder of her life, she nevertheless gives birth to a progeny 

 enormous in number. The number of eggs deposited by her in 

 the cells in the months of April and May is, as above stated, about 

 12000. According to Schirach, a prolific queen will lay in a 

 season — ^that is, from April to October inclusive^ — from 70000 to 

 100000 eggs. This amazing power of reproduction is not exerted 

 uniformly during the season. There are two fits, so to speak, of 

 fruitfulness. The first in April and May ; the second, in August 

 and September, with an interval of comparative repose in July. 

 This immense increase of population, rendering emigration indis- 

 pensable, the over-peopled hive sends forth swarm after swarm 

 so fast as the young arrive at maturity ; and with each swarm 

 one of the princesses goes forth, and is elevated to the throne of 

 the new colony, except in the event of the abdication of the queen- 

 mother, in which case she emigrates herself, resigning the sove- 

 reignty of the hive to one or other of the princesses. 



16 



