The Queen. 97 



Virgil's power to write well was greater 

 than his knowledge of Natural History, 

 which is not surprising, since there were 

 no microscopes in those days. 



To-day we know that if there are to be 

 young bees, eggs must first be laid. 



Bees cannot be picked from trees or 

 flowers, or any other object, and carried 

 home. 



The queen-bee has to lay an tgg for 

 every one of the many bees that fill a hive. 



And now you can understand why Queen 

 Apis is so exceedingly particular about using 

 her sting ; for her sting is her ovipositor as 

 well. 



Ovipositor means egg -placer, for ovi 

 comes from a . Latin word, meaning tgg, 

 and positor from another Latin word, 

 meaning "to place." It is with this that 

 she places the eggs just where she wants 

 them to be. 



The ovipositor is made very much like 



the sting of the worker ; and as the eggs 

 7 



