110 THE bkb-kbkper's guide ; 



by Quinby, where these occurred in a nucleus where no queen 

 had been developed. May it not be true that a desire for 

 eggs or unrest stimulates in some worker, which was perhaps 

 over-fed as a larva, the growth of the ovaries, growth of eggs 

 in the ovarian tubes, and consequent ability to deposit ? The 

 common high-holder, Colaptes auratus — a bird belonging to the 

 wood-pecker order, usually lays five eggs, and only five ; but 

 let cruel hands rob her of these promises of future loved ones, 

 and, wondrous to relate, she continues to lay more than a 

 score. One thus treated, on the College campus, actually laid 

 more than thirty eggs. So we see that animal desires may 

 influence and move organs that are generally independent of 

 the will. It may be that in queenless colonies the workers 

 commence to feed some worker or workers, the rich nitrogen- 

 ous food, and thus their ovaries are stimulated to activity. 



The larval queen is longer, and more rapid of development 

 than the other larvae. When developed from the egg — as in 

 case of normal swarming — the larva feeds for five days, when 

 the cell is capped by the workers. At any time dur-ing this 

 period the larva can be removed, as first shown by Mr. J. L,. 

 Davis, of Michigan, in 1874, and a newly hatched larva placed 

 in it instead. This is easily done by use of a quill tooth- 

 pick. The infant queen then spins her cocoon, which occupies 

 about one day. The fibrous part of the cocoon, which is also 

 true of both drone and worker larvse, is confined to the outer 

 end, as is easily seen by microscopic examination. Yet a thin 

 varnish continues this over the whole interior of the cell. This 

 latter becomes very thick in worker-cells, as many bees are 

 reared in each cell, while in the queen-cell it is thin, as but 

 one bee is reared in each cell. A similar varnish coats the 

 cocoons of all silk-moths. This may be the contents of the 

 alimentary canal simply, which, of course, is moulted with the 

 last larval skin, very likely a special secretion is added. These 

 cocoons are shown nicely when we melt old comb in the solar 

 wax-extractor. The queen now spends nearly three days in 

 absolute repose. Such rest is common to all cocoon-spinning 

 larvce. The spinning, which is done by a rapid motion to-and- 

 fro of the head, always carrying the delicate thread, much like 

 the moving shuttle of the weaver, seems to bring exhaustion 



