INSTINCT 207 



to the hive which they have left — seeming to realize 

 that their efforts would be fruitless without a queen. 

 If the hive has no queen, the drones are permitted to 

 live through the winter. 



When the drones are destroyed the larvae and pupa 

 which would produce drones are also destroyed. If 

 pressed for food, a colony will attack a weaker col- 

 ony or a hive without a queen, and, if the attack is 

 successful, the vanquished colony joins the conquer- 

 ors, thus strengthening the hive. 



If bees have been fed on stimulating food and the 

 supply is discontinued, they destroy the eggs and 

 young larvae. 



The workers ventilate the hive by holding to the 

 floor with their feet and vibrating their wings rapidly. 

 When they leave the old hive to form a new colony, 

 they follow guides which have already selected a place. 



In building cells the axis of a cell on one side of 

 the partition at the base is placed opposite the junc- 

 tion of three planes of cells on the other side, thus 

 giving greater strength to the structure. 



If circumstances will not lead to swarming, only 

 eggs that will produce workers are laid. The queen 

 in laying frequently passes from drone-cells to worker- 

 cells, and yet she makes no mistakes in depositing the 

 eggs. 



If drones are needed and no drone-cells are in the 

 hive, the queen will lay drone-eggs in worker-cells, 

 and she will also lay worker-eggs in drone-cells in 

 case it is necessary. 



In case the queen becomes unable to lay impreg- 

 nated eggs the workers rear a new queen and destroy 

 the old one. 



" If the bees are abundant and honey needed, or if 

 there is no queen to lay eggs, drone-comb is invariably 

 built; while if there are few bees, and, of course, little 



