bee-keeper's manual. 27 



bee was found, except workers. Indeed, he experi- 

 mented on two hives in this way, as he says ; and so 

 tedious was the job, of catching and examining the bees, 

 that it took thirteen days to perform the operation. 



From this experiment, he says, that he was certain 

 that workers do sometimes produce drone eggs, as be- 

 fore stated — ^in short, his servant, Beurnens, actually 

 took one in the very act of laying. 



How far we can credit Huber's statements in regard 

 to this transaction, I cannot say. His hives were of the 

 kitid termed leaf hives, which he was enabled to open, 

 like the folds of a book ; and it is possible, that the ope- 

 ration of catching the bees, may have been performed ; 

 but I doubt whether it will ever be done again. 



FERTILE WORKERS, AND THE POWER OP WORKERS TO PRO- 



DUCE aUEENS FROM ORDINARY WORKER EGGS 



The manner and cause of the production of workers 

 that lay drone eggs, is as follows : — provided that such 

 do ever exist, though I came within an ace of verifying 

 the fact myself, as I shall relate. 



It is necessary here to inform the reader of the power 

 of workers in forming, or producing a queen, in order 

 that he may rightly understand the question. 



KINDS OF EGGS LAID BY THE aUEEN. 



The queen lays but two kinds of eggs, viz : drone 

 and worker eggs ; and when queens are wanted, ordi- 

 nary worker eggs are laid by the queen, in cells made 

 expressly for royal use, termed queen cells. Here is a 



