182 TREATMENT OF THE QUEEN. 



sooner sallied forth on her sanguinary intent, than the bees 

 immediately enrolled themselves into a kind of national guard, 

 and resolutely defended the royal cells from the fury of the 

 youthful regicide. It will appear in the sequel, that, on account 

 of a particular circumstance, these guards were obliged to 

 be divided into twenty-seven detachments ; and on the young 

 queen presenting herself before one of the royal cells, resolute 

 on the murder of its unfortunate tenant, she was imme- 

 diately repulsed by the particular detachment appointed to 

 guard it; nor did they treat her majesty with the respect 

 becoming her rank, for they pulled her about, as if she were 

 one of the lowest grade ; they bit her, they tumbled her, they 

 caught her first by one leg, then by another ; they followed 

 her about like a pack of bloodhounds : in fact, their anger 

 and resentment had risen to the highest pitch ; the whole 

 hive was in a state of the most terrible commotion, nor was 

 her majesty allowed to partake of any rest, until she had 

 betaken herself off to the greatest possible distance from 

 the royal cells, like an exile banished from his native land. 

 Let us, however, attend to the sequel, and wild and wandering 

 indeed must have been the head, and bold and presumptuous 

 must have been the hand, which could dare to publish such 

 absurd and palpable fictions as the result of ocular observa- 

 tion, and still more to send them forth, as of such a genuine 

 and authenticated character, as to entitle them to be received 

 into the Natural History of the Bee. 



Consistently with the information of Mr. Huber, derived, 

 be it understood, from ocular observation, the young queen 

 was completely discomfited in her murderous intentions by 

 the vigilance and activity of the guards ; and during the 

 remainder of the day, she sat sulking in a corner ; and whilst 

 the pouting mood was upon her, she placed herself in a 

 certain attitude, the effect of which on the surrounding bees 

 was indeed most miraculous. Huber indeed is not very 

 specific respecting this important point of the attitude of the 



