bee-keeper's manual. 149 



the rest of the bees, she was lost, not being accustomed 

 to going out lilie worlcers, she did not know the position 

 of the hive where she ought to have entered. Queens 

 are Hable to be lost in this way, since they go out but 

 once during life-time, and then they mark carefully the 

 appearance and position of their hive. She probably 

 entered the wrong hive and was killed by the queen be- 

 longing to it." 



" Astonishing ! What a fool I am ! Are the queens 

 always in the upper boxes ?" 



" Not by any means. The queen passes from one 

 box to another, and always makes it her home where 

 the greatest portion of brood-combs exist ; consequently, 

 she draws the most of the bees after her, if there be 

 room for them. The hive that you just showed me 

 filled with brood-comhs, she was in undoubtedly." 



" But they say, that if a queen is Jost, it makes no 

 difference ; that the_bees will make another queen." 



" That is true, if the bees have anything in the hive to 

 make a queen from. They want eggs or larvae under 

 four days old. There were both eggs and larvae in the 

 hive where she made her residence, without doubt ; but 

 it is very doubtful whether any were in either of the 

 other boxes, so late as October, when you drove out the 

 bees, and there would be no positive safety in perform- 

 ing that operation, even in August or September, for 

 the reason, that there would ever be the uncertainty of 

 having eggs or larvae as before stated; and if they 

 should happen to be left in the lower box, and a queen 

 should be made, then she is to be impregnated by the 



