XII. 



THE QUEEN. 



ONE would expect to find a mother 

 in so large and flourishing a family, 

 and you will not be surprised to hear that 

 there is one. 



Queen Apis Mellifica is the mother of 

 the hive, and is by far the most important 

 member of the community, as I suppose 

 a queen always is — or should be, if she 

 is a true queen. 



Queen Apis is a true queen, as she shows 

 by working harder than any other bee in 

 the hive. Of course her work is different 

 from that of the workers, else why should 

 she be a queen? She does not carry 

 nectar and pollen, and make honey-comb, 

 and care for the young bees, but she does 



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