BUES, BUE-IHVES, AND BKli CULTUUE. 3 



which she is journeying may be the most populous, way is immediately 

 made, the common bees tumbling over each other to get out of her 

 way, so great is their anxiety not to interfere with the royal progress. 

 It is the cliief 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 indeed a vast 

 number; but when there is taken into consideration the great 

 number required for swarms, the constant lessening of their strength 

 by death in various ways, and the many casualties attending them 

 in their distant travels in search of the luscious store, it does not 

 seem that the case is over stated. 



In a Glass Uuicomb Hive, — which we shall hereinafter describe, 

 — all the movements of the queen-bee may be traced ; she may be 

 seen thrusting her head into a cell to discover whether it be occupied 

 with an egg or honey, and if empty, she turns round in a dignified 

 manner and inserts her long body — so long, that slie is able to 

 deposit the egg at the bottom of the cell; she then passes on to 

 another, and so continues industriously multiplying her laborious 

 subjects. It not unfrequently happens when the queen is prolific, 

 and if it be an early season, that many eggs are wasted for want of 

 unoccupied cells ; for in that case the queen leaves them exposed at 

 the bottom of the hive when they are greedily devoured by the bees. 

 The queen-bee, unlike the great majority of her subjects, is a stayer 

 at home ; generally speaking, she only quits the hive twice in her life. 

 The first occasion is on the aU-important day of her marriage, which 

 always takes place at a great height in the air, and generally on 

 the second or third day of her princess-life ; she never afterwards 

 leaves the hive, except to lead off an emigrating swarm. Evans, 

 with proper loyalty, has duly furnished a glowing epithalamium for 

 the queen-bee : — thus. 



When nooa-tide Sirius glares on high, 



Young love ascends the glowing sky, 



Trom vein to vein swifc shoots prolific fire. 



And thriUs each insect fibre witli desire ; 



Then Nature to fulfil thy prime decree, 



Wheels round in wauton.rings, the courtier Bee; 



B 2 



