THE QUEEN. 39 



who are too wise to avail tliemselves of the Icnowledge of 

 others : 



"This treatiso on liros proved so fatiguing a performance, that 

 Swamnu'i'diun novor afterwards recovered even tlie appearance 

 of his former health and vigor, lie was most continually en- 

 gaged liy day in maliing observations, and as constantly by niglit 

 in recording them by drawings and suitable explanations. 



"His daily lalior began at six in the morning, when the sun 

 alVorded liim light enough to survey such minute obje(^ts ; and 

 from that hour till twelve, he continued without interruption, all 

 the while exposed in the open air to tlio scorching heat of the 

 sun, bareheaded, for fear of intercepting his sight, and his head 

 in a manner dissolving into sweat under the irresistible ardors of 

 that powerful luminary. And if he desisted at noon, it was only 

 because the strength of his eyes was too much weakened by the 

 extraordinary afflux of light, and the use of microscopes, to con- 

 tinue any longer upon such small objects. 



" He often wished, the better to accomplish his vast, unlimited 

 views, for a year of perpetual heat and light to perfect his inqui- 

 ries; with a polar night, to reap all the advantages of them by 

 proper drawings and descriptions." 



96. The name of queen was then given to the mother 

 bee, although she in no way governs, but seems to reign 

 like a beloved mother in her family. 



97. She is the only i)erfeot female in the hive, the laying 

 of eggs being her sole function ; and so well does she accom- 

 plish this duty, that it is not uncommon to liud queens, 

 who lay more than 3,500 eggs per day, for several weeks in 

 succession during the height of the breeding season. In 

 our observing hives we have seen them lay at the rate of six 

 eggs in a minute. The fecundity of the female of the white 

 ant is, however, much greater than this, being at the rate of 

 sixty eggs a minute ; but her eggs are simply extruded from 

 her body, and carried by the workers into suitable nurser- 

 ies, while the queen-bee herself deposits her eggs in their 

 appropriate cells. 



98. This number of 3,500, that a good queen can lay 



