58 STORIFYING. 



that thofe born in autumn, or fpring, or in 

 the intervening months, inevitably die about 

 the fame time in the fucceeding periods of 

 time, and fo in a regular proportion during 

 the breeding feafon ; but this is not per- 

 ceived while the brood is rapidly increafmg, 

 and counterbalancing the chafms made by 

 death. 



The queen often lays two or three hun-* 

 dred eggs in a few hours ; which occafions 

 as fudden a difappearance at the ftated pe- 

 riod, and which accounts for that great 

 th'mnefs obfervable in hives after the fwarm- 

 ing feaion is over, as if a fwarm had efcaped, 

 This likewife demonftrates, that . at the ge- 

 neral time of deprivation, all hives, or (locks, 

 according to their populoufnefs, are com- 

 pofed of bees of all ages, from thofe in 

 embryo, to thofe of old age. Confequently, 

 although individuals die daily, young ones 

 rife to birth, to fucceed them, as do the hu- 

 man race in towns and cities. But, by fto- 

 rifying, the family is perpetuated to any 

 length of time, without the cruel necejfity 

 and trouble of dejtroying indlfcriminately both 

 old and young. 



The 



