ITALIAN QUEEN BEE 51 



dulge toward a rival, I myself rushed upon 

 her exposed thorax as the walls of her cell 

 gave way, bent my body for a supreme 

 effort and sent my curved sting into her 

 vitals. She trembled, arrogantly cried 

 "Hock, Hock!" and then straightened out 

 dead. As I beheld her thus, I felt no com- 

 punction. With surprising complacency 

 and deliberation the Maids all about on the 

 near combs tugged away, until the following 

 morning she had been drawn out of the cell, 

 her body unmutilated in any way, dragged 

 down and dropped over the edge of the 

 alighting board, and dumped on the grass 

 for a toad to harpoon or for the ants to de- 

 vour. For we are painstaking about our 

 habitation, and scrupulous about cleanliness 

 and the public health. In case of death 

 within doors, the chilling of any brood which 

 in time might be offensive, the capture of 

 a moth miller or moth worm, a leaf, twig, 

 or any bit of refuse being blown into our 

 quarters — we at once set about to remove 

 them, and they will be found on the ground 



