The Eggs of Bees. 135 



by careful experiment. It is hardly necessary to say that 

 there is no truth in the statement that the sting is used to- 

 polish the comb; nor do I think there is any shadow of 

 foundation for the statement that poison from the sting is 

 dropped into the honey-cells to preserve the honey. The 

 formic acid of honey doubtless comes from the honey- 

 stomach. 



Tlie workers hatch from impregnated eggs, which cani 

 only come from a queen that has met a drone, and are 

 always laid in the small, horizontal cells (Fig. 53, c). 

 These eggs are in no wise different, so far as we can see, 

 from those which are laid in the drone or queen-cells. All 

 are cylindrical and slightly curved (Fig. 24, a, 3) and are 

 fastened by one end to the bottom of the cell, and a little 

 to one side of the center. Girard says that the egg on the 

 first day stands oblique to the bottom of the cell, is more- 

 inclined the second day, and is horizontal the third day^ 

 As in other animals, the eggs from different queens vary 

 perceptibly in size. As already shown, these are volun- 

 tarily fertilized by the queen as she extrudes them, prepar- 

 atory to fastening them to the cells. These eggs, though 

 small — one-sixteenth of an inch long, may be easily seea 

 by holding the comb so that the light will shine into the- 

 cells. With experience they are detected almost at once,, 

 but I have often found it quite difficult to make the novice- 

 see them, though very plainly visible to my experienced. 

 eye. 



The &%% hatches in three days. The larva, ( Fig. 24, d^ 

 «,/■), incorrectly called grub, maggot — and even caterpillar,, 

 by Hunter — is white, footless, and lies coiled up in the celt 

 till near maturity. It is fed a whitish fluid, the chyle: 

 already described, though this seems to be given grudge 

 ingly, as the larva never seems to have more than it wishes 

 to eat, so it is fed quite frequently by the mature workers. 

 It would seem that the workers fear an excessive develop- 

 mentf which, as we have seen, is most mischievous and 

 ruinous, and WQrk to prevent the same by a mean and 

 meager diet. Not only do the worker larvEe receive the- 

 chyle grudgingly, but just at the last, before the cell is- 

 sealed, they are fed cliyme, for undigested pollen is found in. 



