The Life of the Bee 
prodigious emotion issue from her, or is 
she its victim? Such knowledge as we 
possess of the general psychology of the 
bee warrants the belief that the swarming 
always takes place against the old sovereign’s 
will. For indeed the ascetic workers, her 
daughters, regard the queen above all as 
the organ of love; indispensable, certainly, 
and sacred, but in herself somewhat un- 
conscious, and often of feeble mind. They 
treat her like a mother in her dotage. 
Their respect for her, and their tenderness, 
are heroic and boundless. The purest honey, 
specially distilled and almost entirely as- 
similable, is reserved for her use alone. 
She has an escort that watches over her 
by day and by night, that: facilitates her 
maternal duties and gets ready the cells 
wherein the eggs shall be laid; she has 
loving attendants who pet and caress her, 
feed her and clean her, and even absorb 
her excrement. Should the least accident 
befall her the news will spread quickly 
from group to group, and the whole 
population will rush to and fro in loud 
lamentation. Seize het, imprison her, take 
