bee-keeper's manual. 257 



of drone-eggs, which generally takes place from the 1st 

 to the 10th of May, is the construction of queen-cells. 

 From five to ten royal cells are usually commenced, and 

 the same kind of eggs that produce ordinary workers, 

 are laid in these royal cells, from which queens are pro- 

 duced, by a different treatment and food, as I before 

 illustrated. The eggs are not all deposited in the royal 

 cells at once, but on different occasions, so as to mature 

 about the time that they will be wanted to go off with 

 swarms. There is generally a superabundance of young 

 queens matured, so as to be on the safe side, and guard 

 against any casualties that may ensue. This is exactly 

 according to human reasoning and human judgment, to 

 provide a few over the exact number of any particular 

 thing desired, where the least risfeof loss may appear. 



A young queen is never suffered to leave the cell 

 until ih& first swarm has departed with the old queen at 

 their head. If any of these young scions of royalty 

 should be ready to emerge from the cells before the 

 swarm is ready to issue, they are kept prisoners therein 

 by the workers until the swarm has departed ! Here is 

 one of the most wonderful features of the economy of 

 the bee. NatuW has implanted so deadly a hatred of 

 rivalry in the queen bee, that she seizes her own off- 

 spring, as soon as a young queen emerges from her cell, 

 and thrusts a deadly sting into her, without the least 

 compunction. Again, nature has ordained that the old 

 queen should go off with the first emigrating family. 

 This is just as it should be. The old queen's impregna- 

 tion being effectual from the season previous, she is 



