4 A MANUAL OF BEE-KEEPING. 



seasons the last, may be absent ; the second never. The 

 Queen is the only perfect female. 



" First of the throng and foremost of the whole, 

 One stands confest the Sovereign and the soul." — ViRGIL. 



If the colony has not swarmed, the mother of every other 

 Bee in the hive is the Queen, and she is the only means 

 by which the population can be kept up or increased. As 

 on her existence and well-doing depends the vitality of 

 the colony, we will- give her majesty precedence, and con- 

 sider her natural history first. 



In considering the development of the Queen, it will be 

 most convenient to include that of Workers and Drones, 

 stating the points in which they differ ; but in a great 

 measure the facts are applicable to all. 



The egg of a Bee is of a pearly white ; it is slightly 

 curved, and in length several times greater than in 

 breadth ; it is deposited on the bottom of the cell on its 

 end, and stands somewhat obliquely ; there is no differ- 

 ence either in size or colour in Drone and Worker eggs, 

 and any cluster of Worker eggs may be made to produce 

 Queens at the will of the Bee-master. To the uninitiated, 

 this statement looks fabulous ; but I will presently 

 endeavour to show so clearly how it is possible, that I 

 think the most incredulous must be convinced. I will 

 even go further, and state my belief that eggs may be 

 taken which, uninterfered with, would produce Drones 

 (males), and that it is in the power of the skilful scientific 

 Apiarian so to act, that at his will they shall produce 

 either Queens, Drones, or Workers ! When we observe 

 a Queen in the act of ovipositing, we see her put her head 

 into a cell, remain a second or two, apparently inspecting 

 the future cradle, to see that all is in order, then, with- 

 drawing her head, she curves her body down into the cell, 



