70 miner's AMERICAN 



ROYAL CELLS CONSTRUCTED SIMULTANEOUS WITH 

 DRONE-EGG LAYING. 



There is a relation existing between the commence- 

 ment of laying drone-eggs and the construction of royal 

 cells, worthy of notice. 



When the queen has discharged her ovary of its bur- 

 den of worker-eggs, then she is aware that she will com- 

 mence the laying of drone-eggs ; for, be it known, that 

 the two kinds of eggs are germinated in perfectly dis- 

 tinct and separate bodies, though no organic separation 

 exists in the formation of the ovary, as has ever yet been 

 discovered. How she knows the fact, that her worker- 

 eggs are exhausted, and that for a few days, she can pro- 

 duce drone-eggs only, is not for me to say ; yet she does 

 know that fact, and the workers know it also ; for no 

 sooner does this crisis arise, than they at once set them- 

 selves to constructing drone-cells ; provided, that they 

 be not already constructed, and they build them as fast 

 as the queen requires them, and stop with her termina- 

 tion of laying this kind of egg. 



The secret relation between the laying of drone-eggs, 

 and building royal cells is this. The royal cells are al- 

 ways commenced on the occasion of drone laying, when 

 they are commenced at all. It seems to be a signal for 

 the workers to commence this work ; yet, if the hive 

 be large, and only partly filled with combs, not a royal 

 cell will be fabricated. The reason of this is evident, 

 because the bees well know, that they will not have a 

 bee to spare in swarming ; for all their increase will be 



