70 REFUTATION OF HXJMEL's THEORY. 



favour of the sexual coition of the drone and the queen, 

 although they are comparatively silent as to the manner 

 in which it is accomplished. Thus, Mr. Anthony Humel 

 of Laybach in the duchy of Carniola, a country celebrated 

 for the culture of the bee, mentions that on the 23rd of June 

 he had a swarm. On the following day, he remarked that 

 the bees, as usual, took the air, and that the queen, having 

 amused herself for some time amongst them, took to her 

 wings ; on which the whole community appeared restless 

 and disturbed. In about half an hour afterwards, the 

 queen returned, having a white substance on the exterior 

 part of her body. The bees hurried after her with delight 

 into the hive. On the 5th of July, he had another swarm, 

 but the queen did not appear outside of the hive until three 

 days afterwards ; she flew for some time about the hive, 

 as if she were reconnoitring, and then flew away. She 

 returned in a short time, but without any alteration in 

 her body. On the 10th, she took another excursion, 

 and in about half an hour afterwards, she returned very 

 weak, drawing her wings after her, and a whitish liquid 

 at the extremity of her abdomen. The bees immediately 

 fluttered their wings with joy ! 



In order to invalidate the above statement, it is merely 

 necessary to make one remark. During the whole of our 

 experience, we never knew a single instance in which eggs 

 were not to be found in a hive forty-eight hours after the 

 swarm having been settled in it. Now, according to Humel, 

 the swarm left the parent hive on the 5th of July, evidently, 

 according to his own statement, with an unfecundated 

 queen. She remained tranquilly in the hive for three days, 

 when she took one of her flights, but did not succeed in the 

 accomplishment of the design for which she took the 

 journey. On the 5th day, however, she takes another 

 flight, and returns to the great joy of the bees, with the 

 decided marks of fecundation. Thus, according to Humel, 



