MANUAL OP THE AWARY. 79 



out at once. I have myself witnessed several of these whole- 

 sale matrimonial excursions among ants. I have also fre- 

 quently taken bumble-bees in copulo while on the wing. I have 

 also noticed both ants and bumble-bees to fall while united, 

 probably borne down by the expiring males. That butterflies, 

 moths, dragon-flies, etc., mate on the wing is a matter of 

 common observation. That it is possible to impregnate 

 queens when confined, I think very doubtful. The queens 

 will caress the drones, but the latter seem not to heed their 

 advances. That this ever has been done I also question, though 

 many think they have positive, proof that it has occurred, 

 ^t, as there are so many chances to be mistaken, and as 

 experience and observation are so excessive against the possi- 

 bility, I think that these may be cases of hasty or inaccurate 

 judgment. Many, very many, with myself, have followed 

 Huber in clipping the queen's wing, only to produce a sterile 

 or drone-laying queen. Prof. Leuckart believes that successful 

 mating demands that the large air-sacks (Fig. 2,/") of the drones 

 shall be filled, which he thinks is only possible during flight. 

 The demeanor of the drones leads me to think, that the 

 excitement of flight, like the warmth of the hand, is necessary 

 to induce the sexual impulse. 



I presume, that in all the future, Ruber's statement that the 

 queen must take wing to be impregnated, will remain unrefu ted. 

 Yet it will do no harm to keep trying. Success may come. 

 Mating, too, in green-houses or rooms is also impracticable. 

 I have given this thorough trial. The drones are incorrigible 

 cowards, and their inordinate fear seems even to overcome the 

 sexual desires. 



If the queen fails to find an admirer the first day, she will 

 go forth again and again till she succeeds. Huber stated 

 that after twenty-one days the case is hopeless. Bevan states 

 that if impregnated from the fifteenth to the twenty-first she 

 will be largely a drone-laying queen. That such absolute 

 4ates can be fixed in either of the above cases is very ques- 

 tionable. Yet, all experienced breeders know that queens 

 kept through the winter as virgins are sure to remain so. It 

 is quite likely that the long inactivity of the spermatheca 

 wholly or in part paralyzes it, so that queens that are late in 

 mating cannot impregnate the eggs as she desires. This 



