THE QUEEN-BEE, s 



the other bees, whilst her colour underneath is a yellow- 

 ish brown ;* her wings, which do not extend more than 

 half the lengfth of her body, are sinewy and strong- ; her 

 long- abdomen tapers nearly to a point; her head is 

 rounder, her tongue more slender, and not nearly so 

 long, as that of the working bee, and her sting is 

 curved. Her movements are measured and majestic ; as 

 she moves in the hive the other bees form a circle round 

 her, none venturing to turn their backs upon her, but all 

 anxious to show that respect and attention due to her 

 rank and station. Whenever, in the exercise of her 

 sovereign will, the queen wishes to travel amongst hei- 

 subjects, she experiences no inconvenience from over- 

 crowding ; although the part of the hive to which she is 

 joumejdng may be the most populous, way is immediately 

 made, the common bees tumbling over each other to get 

 out of her path, so great is their anxiety not to interfere 

 -with the royal progress. 



It is the chief function of the queen to lay the eggs from 

 which all future bees originate, the multiplication of the 

 species being the purpose of her existence ) and she follows 

 it up with an assiduity similar to that with which the 

 workers construct combs or collect honey. A queen is 

 estimated to lay in the breeding season from 1,500 to 

 2,000 eggs a-day, and in the course of one year is 

 supposed to produce more than 100,000 bees. This is 



* Yellow Italian queens form an exception in point of coloui-. 

 See frontispiece, fig. i. 



