BREEDING. 67 



is its food, without doiibt. How this food is prepared, 

 is merely guess-work. The hypothesis of its being 

 chiefly composed of pollen, I have no objection to; 

 as it is sufficiently proved by the quantities that accu- 

 mulate in hives that lose their queen, and rear no 

 brood (that is, when a requisite number of workers 

 are so left). The workers may be seen entering the 

 cell every few minutes, probably, to supply this food.* 



TIME FROM THE EG& TO THE PERFECT BEE. 



In about six days it is sealed over with a convex 

 waxen lid. It is now hidden from our sight for about 

 twelve days, when it bites off the cover, and comes 

 forth a perfect bee. The period from the egg to the 

 perfect bee varies from twenty to twenty-four days ; 

 average about twenty-two for workers, twenty-four 

 - for drones. The temperature of the hive will vary 

 some with the atmosphere ; it is also governed by the 

 number of bees. A low temperature probably retards 

 the developemnt, while a high one facilitates it. 

 You may have seen accounts of the assiduous atten- 

 tions given to the young bee when it first emerges 

 from the cell : 'tis said they " lick it all over, feed it 

 with honey," &c., desperately pleased with their new 

 acquisition. 



ROUGH TREATMENT OF THE TOUNG BEE. 



Now, if you expect to see anything of this, you 

 must watch a little closer than I have. I have seen 



* When the comb in onr glass hive is new, and white, these ope- 

 mtinns can be seen more ^tinctlj than when veiy old and dark. 



