64 



PHYSIOLOGY OF THE HONEY-BEE. 



ditions, the queen cannot be readily induced to lay in drone- 

 ct'lls. Our conclusions on this point, differ from those of 

 Mr. Root. We think that the queen prefers worker-cells to 

 drone-cells, because the fecundation of the eggS'by the action 

 of the muscles of the spermatheea probably gives her a pleas- 

 ant sensation, which she does not experience in laying drone- 



Fig. 24. 



ABDOMEN OF THE QUEEN-BEE. 



(Magnified. From tlie '^Illustrierte Bienenzeitung.") 



a, &, c, d, e, rings of the abdomen ; N, nerve-cliain ; M, honey-sack ; 

 E, ovaries ; D^ stomach ; R^ rectum ; G, ganglions : A^ anus ; Ss, ovi- 

 positor ; ■ St, sting ; P, muscles ; H, gland ; S, poison-sack. 



150. Some very prolific queens occasionally lay drone- 

 eggs in worker-cells. It may be due to fatigue. This will 

 readily be admitted when we consider the number of eggs 

 laid in one day. (98.) 



151. Dzierzon foiuid that a queen which had been refrig- 

 erated for a long time, after being brought to life by warmth, 

 laid only male eggs, whilst previously she had also laid fe- 

 male eggs. Berlepsch refrigerated three queens by placing 

 them thirty-six hours m an ice-house. Two of thfem never 

 revived, and the third laid, as before, thousands of eggs, 

 but from all of them only males were evolved. In two in- 

 stances, Mr. Mahan has, at our suggestion, tried similar ex- 

 periments, and with like results. A short exposure of a 

 queen, to pounded ice and salt, answers every purpose. The 



