18 BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



Sixth day, still increasing in strength. Seventh day, 

 working quite briskly, considering the size of the 

 colony. Eighth and ninth days, working as strong, 

 apparently, in proportion to their numbers, as any 

 stock in the apiaiy. On the evening of the ninth 

 day (five days from the time the queen emerged from 

 her cell), a few eggs were observed in one of the 

 combs. Tenth day, the number of eggs was greatly 

 increased ; the queen was now fertile, and the exper- 

 iment of making a colony of bees, composed entirely 

 of young ones, without a single exception, was a 

 perfect success, the bees continuing to thrive and do 

 well. 



"We have instituted similar experiments with the 

 same result. Can it be supposed, with any degree 

 of plausibility, that those young bees were governed 

 by a queen, or other royal dignitary, four days having 

 elapsed without any queen being in the colony, ex- 

 cept the one yet sealed up in the cell ; nor were there 

 any old bees to instruct them in the affairs of the 

 colony. I forgot to mention that three queen cells 

 were commenced before the queen emerged from her 

 cell, but of course were then discontinued. In one or 

 two cases, we have had them to rear and perfect 

 queens in this manner. 



But I find, upon examination, that I am not the 

 first to suppose that the queen exercised no authority 

 over the other bees. Bonner, an eminent Scotch 

 writer of the last century, uses the following lan- 

 guage : 



" But as it is also now unanimously admitted that 



