38 THE HONET-BEE. 



I would suggest as an explanation of this, that where 

 she is not aided by the size of the cell, as in ordinary 

 worker-cells, the shallowness of these unfinished queen 

 and worker-cells affords her room to curve her body, in 

 order to accomplish the desired fertilization. 



In reference to this, one fact must be borne in mind, 

 that in all our experience has held good, which is, that 

 an egg is not found to be deposited in a queen-cell after 

 it has been built out to its full length. In my mind this 

 rule is established, (although it is not well to consider 

 these points invariable), that a queen cannot deposit a 

 fertile egg in a full length queen-cell or drone-cell, from 

 the lack of the aid of these requisites to compression. 



On the whole, I am inclined to sustain Mr. Wagner's 

 view, to the extent that the size of the worker-cells aids 

 in producing the muscular effort which secures fertiliza^ 

 tion ; and also the idea that in cases where eggs are de- 

 posited in incomplete worker or queen-cells, the curving 

 of her body tends to produce the same result. 



May not the instance which Prof. Cook cites of a 

 worker-egg being deposited in a drone-cell, be accounted 

 for on the supposition that the egg was laid before the 

 cell was complete ? 



FEKTILE WORKERS. 



There are exceptional instances where workers become 

 able to deposit eggs but. like those of the virgin queen, 

 they invariably produce drones. 



It may not be very difficult to account for this anoma- 

 lous production of eggs, if we consider workers to be simply 

 undeveloped females. The deprivation of a queen that 

 always precedes the occurrence, may produce the in- 

 tense desire for the continued welfare of the colony, 

 which develops their internal Etructure to a suf- 

 ficient degree to produce eggs. Mr. Quinby dis- 

 proved the theory of Huber that they are (Jeveloped by 



