HYMENOPTEES: BEES. 131 



the larvae. In about two days the eggs hatch into small 

 white larvae, and in five or six days these begin to spin 

 a cocoon, and soon go into the pupa state. A queen 

 comes forth from this state in sixteen days, workers in 

 twenty days, and drones in twenty-four days. As only 

 one queen can live in a hive, whenever a young queen 

 is hatched she is carefully guarded from the old one by 

 the workers, till it is settled whether the old queen will 

 be wanted to lead forth a swarm. If a new swarm is 

 not to go forth, the old queen is allowed to approach 

 the young queen and royal cells, and destroy the brood, 

 which she does by stinging them. If the old queen 

 leaves with 'a swarm, the young queen immediately en- 

 deavors to destroy her sisters, but is prevented by a 

 guard of workers, while there is a prospect of another 

 swarming ; if she departs with a swarm, another queen 

 is set free, and so on till further swarming is impossi- 

 ble ; then the young queen is allowed to kill all her 

 sisters. If two queens hatch at the same time, they 

 instantly engage in conflict, the other bees favoring the 

 battle, and when one is killed, the survivor is recog- 

 nized as queen. When a hive loses its queen, there is 

 the greatest confusion ; after several hours they be- 

 come' quiet, and if there are no eggs or larvae in the 

 cells from which a new queen may be hatched, they be- 

 come discouraged, cease to labor, and the whole colony 

 soon dies. If there be eggs or larvse in the cells, the 

 bees select one, — the larva of a worker, — and destroy- 

 ing the cells adjoining, so as to make a royal cell, they 

 supply the grub with the sort of food prepared for 

 queens, and in this way soon raise another queen. 



The Humble Bees are larger than the Hive Bees, 

 and their bodies are very hairy. There are more than 



