ME MnRANE-WlNGED INSECTS. 



385 



The Queen Bee is lady paramount in her own hive, and 

 Buffers no other queen to divide rule with her. Should a strange 

 queen gain admittanee, there is a battle at once, which ceases not 

 until one has been destroyed. 



At the swarming 

 time, the old queen is 

 sadly put out by the en- 

 croachments of various 

 young queens, who each ^""g °f ^''' '''b'^'s' "agnifi"*- 



wish for the throne, and at last is so agitated that she rushes out 

 of the hive, attended by a large body of subjects, and thus the 



Recs SwanniDg. 



first swarm is formed. In seven or eight days, the queen next in 

 age also departs, taking with her another supply of subjects. When 

 33 z 



