202 DESCRIPTION OF A DUEL. 



that the night is the time selected by the queens for their 

 duels, and we make not the slightest doubt that, in regard to 

 accuracy and authenticity, the nocturnal observations of Mr. 

 Huber are as valuable as his diurnal ones. 



In regard, however, to these duels, Huber evidently saw 

 that he had plunged himself into a dilemma, from which it 

 was difficult to extricate himself ; for he saw that by bring- 

 ing the queen bees into personal conflict with each other, 

 a great probability existed of both the queens dying at the 

 same time; and therefore, although he endows them with 

 a pugnacious spirit, he also makes it appear that they 

 have an instinctive dread of each other ; for he says, they 

 no sooner found themselves belly to belly, and their ex- 

 tremities or tails about to meet, which is the precursor of the 

 infliction of the sting, than nature instantly prompted them 

 to disentangle themselves, and to run away from each other 

 like the veriest cowards. This, in the language of the 

 pugilists, would be called a round ; for having had, according 

 to Huber, a sharp set-to, they retire to be cleaned and re- 

 freshed by the drones j but as the drones possess not the 

 power of degurgitation natural to the common bee, we are 

 left in the dark as to the kind of refreshment which the 

 drones have in their power to administer to the fighting 

 queens. Huber, however, proceeds to state, that the queens 

 having been properly refreshed, returned to the combat 

 several times during the night, all of which was pretty per- 

 ceptible to Mr. Huber, but by what means it really became 

 perceptible to him, he is silent ; still, however, the death- 

 blow had not yet been struck. The thirteenth night was, 

 however, the fatal one. One of the queens, determined upon 

 mischief, went boldly in and succeeded in thrusting her 

 sting into the body of her antagonist. The vanquished 

 queen immediately gave up the ghost ; the drones of the 

 triumphant party set up a shout of victory, which Mr Huber 

 gravely and veritably informs us bore a strong resemblance 



