108 HUMBLE CEEATUUES. 



peared, and feeding the young one with honey during 

 her imprisonment. 



In the hive of bees, as in the hives of men^ two 

 Csesars, or rather, in the former ease, two Czarinas, 

 cannot exist at one time ; and when the old queen 

 finds that her hateful rival is beyond her reach, she 

 ceases to oviposit, and, wandering about the hive in a 

 state of great excitement, she at length takes her 

 departure iu search of afresh habitation, accompanied, 

 in a full hive, by about 1000 drones (who are said to 

 lead the way), and ten times that number of workers. 

 This new colony, well known to us as the " swarm," 

 is received by bee-keepers in an empty hive, where 

 the workers at once proceed to construct waxen cells 

 and perform their ordinary avocations, whilst the 

 queen resumes the work of oviposition. 



But let us now return to the old hive, where the 

 young queen holds undisputed possession, and this 

 she renders doubly sure by at once proceeding to the 

 cells that contain her younger sisters, and with her 

 sting mercilessly destroying them before they arrive 

 at maturity. 



Sometimes, however, it happens that two young 

 queens make their exit simultaneously from their 

 respective cells, and by a curious instinct the old 

 queen is then diverted from her purpose of infanti- 

 cide, and at once takes her departure with her at- 

 tendant swarm. 



For the sequel, we must once more refer to the 

 pages of Vogt, for we are sure you will agree with us 



