THE QUEEN. 53 
queen. The queen was yet alive on the following morning. For 
some time after her separation from the drone, she brushed the 
last ring of her abdomen, as though trying to extract the organ 
of the drone. She endeavored to bend herself, probably in order 
to bring this part within reach of her jaws, which were con- 
stantly moving, but the pin prevented her from attaining her aim. 
Her activity soon decreased and she ceased to move.’’—(Alex. 
Levi, Journal Des Fermes, Paris, 1869.) 
Messrs. Cary and Otis had witnessed a similar occurrence 
in July 1861. (American Bee Journal, Vol. I, page 66.) 
124. It is now well demonstrated that in a single mating, 
a queen is fertilized for life, although in a few rare instan- 
ces they have been said to mate two days in succession, per- 
haps because the first mating was insufficient. 
125. After the queen has re-entered the hive, she gets 
tid of the organ of the drone by drawing it with her claws, 
and she is sometimes helped in this work by the worker- 
bees. The drone dies in the act of fertilization. (188.) 
126. Although fertilization of the queen in confinement 
has been tried by many, it has never been successful. Those 
who, from time to time, claimed to have succeeded were evi- 
dently deceiving themselves through ill-made experiments. 
(187.) 
127. Having ascertained that the queen-bee is fecund- 
ated in the open air and on the wing, Huber still could not 
form any satisfactory conjecture how eggs were fertilized 
which were not yet developed in her ovaries. Years ago, 
the celebrated Dr..John Hunter (1792), and others, sup- 
posed that there must be a permanent receptacle for the 
male sperm, opening into the oviduct. Dzierzon, who must 
be regarded as one of the ablest contributors of modern 
times to Apiarian science, maintained this opinion, and 
stated that he had found such a receptacle filled with a fluid 
resembling the semen of the drones. He does not seem to 
have then demonstrated his discoveries by any microscopie 
examinations. 
