8' THE APIARY. 



This homage is, however, only paid to matron queens. 

 Whilst they continue princesses, they receive no distinctive 

 marks of respect. Dr. Dunbar, the noted Scotch apiarian, 

 observed a very striking instance of this whilst experi- 

 menting on the combative qualities of the queen-bee 

 "So long," says he, "as the queen which survived the 

 rencontre with her rival remained a virgin, not the 

 slightest degree of respect or attention was paid her; 

 not a single bee gave her food; she was obliged, as 

 often as she required it, to help herself; and in crossing 

 the honey cells for that purpose, she had to scramble, 

 often with difficulty, over the crowd, not an individual of 

 which got out of her way, or seemed to care whether she 

 fed or starved : but no sooner did she become a mother, 

 than the scene was changed, and all testified towards her 

 that most affectionate attention, which is uniformly exhi- 

 bited to fertile queens." 



The queen-bee, though provided with a sting, never 

 uses it on any account, except in combat with her sister- 

 queens. But she admits of no rival to her throne ; almost 

 her first act, on coming forth from the cell, is an attempt 

 to tear open and destroy the cells containing the pup£e 

 of princesses likely to become competitors. Should it so 

 happen that another queen of similar age does exist in 

 the hive at the same time, the two are speedily brouo-ht 

 into contact with each other, in order to fight it out and 

 decide by a struggle, mortal to one of them, which is to 

 be the ruler;— the stronger of course is victorious, and 



