PHYSIOLOGY AND BEEEDING. S9 



the enlargement and change of direction will be made 

 very soon after they decide upon making a queen of it. 



SHORT CELLS tlStJALLT TAKEN FOB KEAKnfO QUEENS. 



In swarming hives, whenever the bees decide on rearing 

 queens, cells that are short like those on the lower edge of 

 comb not completed, or on the side, seem to be preferred, 

 and quite a number are often built close together. 



Mr. Harbison has, I understand, patented the manner 

 of introducing the piece of comb containing brood from 

 which queens are to be reared. It is simply to place the 

 comb with brood in a horizontal position, thus bringing 

 the cell vertical, and save the bees the trouble of making 

 a crooked cell. The young bee thus stands on its head 

 like a young queen, during this period of its existence. 

 He does not claim that this makSs it a queen, but that 

 from the same number of eggs, more queens wiU be raised. 

 I have watched such combs with considerable interest, 

 when side by side with a piece of comb placed the other 

 way, with abundant room directly imderside, without dis- 

 covering that a larger number of queens was produced, 

 or that th^were any larger or better. 



WHEN THE QUEEN LEAVES THE HlVJi TO MEET THE DRONE. 



In about six days after the queen has left her cell, if no 

 competitors are in the way, she leaves the hive to meet 

 the drone. I presume that it does not make much' differ- 

 ence whether she has been reared in a large swarming 

 hive, or in a small box particularly designed for rearing 

 queens. The meeting takes place high in the air. Very 

 few have ever pretended that they have witnessed the 

 connection. A few years ago, I saw a statement naming 

 two individuals who had witnessed it. As one of them 

 was a perfect stranger to me, perhaps I ought to qualify 

 my opinion, and say that it is possible ; but the other one 



