OF MANAGING BEES. 87 



Now, as the queen becomes perfect, and usually hatches, 

 in seven or eight days after the larva is removed from the 

 workers to the queen's cell, and that, too, several days 

 sooner than her sister's larvse, that remain in their cells 

 and become workers, we are inclined to believe that all the 

 eggs are naturally females in their original state, and the 

 larva that is removed for a queen is nursed on a more pun- 

 gent food than others, and facilitates a more perfect devel- 

 opment of the female organs, and hastens her growth to 

 a perfect winged insect, even several days earlier than the 

 drone can be, which hatches three or four days earlier than 

 the workers. 



The extreme animosity which exists among females in 

 this tribe of insects is so great, that but one queen can live 

 together in a hive any great length of time before a battle 

 must be fought between them, and a victory won, so as to 

 , exclude all competition to royalty, as explained in Chapter II. 

 Until we tried some experiments directed to this point, we 

 could not see why it might not be fatal to both conflicting 

 parties, as it is to the duellists when both shots take effect. 

 But the immutable and unerring law of nature has its fixed 

 principles, which secures one of them from the deadly wea- 

 pon of the other at the time the fetal wound is inflicted. 

 We have often seen this wonderful feet, by taking two 

 queeilS and placing^them.. in a glass cylinder, so we could 

 observe every motion ; and in all cases (which are many) 

 the conflict is the same, when they have fairly clenched each 

 other. Although the struggle is much longer in its duration 

 with different queens, yet but one weapon is ever used, and 

 but one manner of using it. We have known hostilities to 

 commence instantly when introduced to each other ; and, 

 again, with others, we thought we could discover a kind 

 of shyness, like two men who would be glad to avoid the 



