THE BEE. Ill 



Vogt ? Bees fight for honey, reader, as man fights for 

 money, whatever M. Vogt may say to the contrary ! 



Although we have shown that the queen is ca- 

 pahle, whilst in her virgin state, of depositing eggs 

 that will produce drones, yet this is contrary to the 

 laws even of Bee-life j and the union of the sexes 

 takes place a few days after the appearance of the 

 young queen, one impregnation being sufficient to 

 last her whole hfe. Indeed, the fertilized queen not 

 only produces and deposits her thousands and tens of 

 thousands of fertile eggs during one season, hut, as we 

 have already stated, she is ready on the return of 

 spring to recommence, with ftdl activity, her func- 

 tions as mother of the hive. 



About the time of pairLng, the drones, who usually 

 remain hidden in the inmost recesses of the hive, are 

 tempted by the fine weather to leave it and enjoy the 

 genial atmosphere. Presently the queen makes her 

 appearance, and, accompanied by a considerable num- 

 ber of drones, her suitors, departs upon what is 

 termed by apiarists her wedding flight ; for you must 

 know, reader, that Bee-marriages are the very re- 

 verse of matrimony amongst ourselves. With us 

 marriages are said to be conceived in heaven, and 

 consummated on earth ; whereas, in the Bee-world, 

 they are in all likehhood conceived in the hive, and, 

 at any rate, it is now an estabhshed fact that they 

 are consummated high up in the heavens*. 



* See tlie summary of opinions on this subject in Siebold's 

 ' Parthenogenesis,' p. 51. 



