THE SEXES OF EGGS. 17 



ing materially are advanced hj nearly aU -writers. One 

 says, ' In spring th.e queen lays about 2000 eggs of males, 

 resumes it in August, but during the interval lays exclu- 

 sively -yvorker-eggs.' Another writer repeats the same, 

 and states that he has found out that the eggs for the 

 two kinds of bees are germinated separately, and the queen 

 knows when each kind is ready, as well as the workers, &c. 

 Kow I beg leave to differ a little from these authors. 

 Either there exists no difference in the eggs germinated, 

 and any or aU will produce drones or workers, just as 

 they happen to be deposited and fed ; or else the periods 

 of laying drone-eggs are much more frequent than any 

 writer with whom I am acquainted has been willing to 

 allow. Whether these drone-egg theories have been too 

 hastily adopted, the reader can decide : I shall offer a few 

 more facts, somewhat dif&cult to reconcile with them. 

 The following circumstance would appear to indicate that 

 aU the eggs are alike; and if they are laid in drone-cells, 

 the bees give the proper food, and make drones — if in 

 worker-ceUs, workers, just as they make a queen from a 

 worker-egg when put in a royal cell. 



" In a glass hive, one sheet of comb next the glass, and 

 parallel with it, was full size ; about three quarters of 

 this sheet was worker-cells, the remainder drone-cells. 

 In about the middle of June 1850, I discovered on this 

 outside sheet the bees preparing it for brood, by cutting 

 off the cells to their proper length. In a day or two after, 

 I saw a few eggs in both worker and drone cells; four 

 or five days afterwards, on opening the door, her 'majesty' 

 was engaged in depositing eggs in the drone-ceUs. Nearly 

 every one contained an egg ; most of these she examined, 

 but did not use them ; six or eight were all that were 

 unoccupied — in each of these she immediately deposited 

 an egg. She continued to search for empty cells, and in 



