50 BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



I have already stated that the queen is provided 

 with a small receptacle to receive and contain the 

 vivifying sperm obtained from the drone by coition. 

 The great mystery to be solved is, how does the queen 

 draw upon this store of fluid, from time to time, to 

 fertilize the eggs which are generated in her ovaries ? 

 Does this fluid come in contact and become incor- 

 porated and combined with the juices or fluids pecu- 

 liar to the queen, and of which doubtless the eggs 

 are composed in a great measure ? Is it in this man- 

 ner that the future sex of her offspring is deter- 

 mined ? Or is it only necessary for the egg (after it 

 is complete in all its parts,) to come in contact with 

 the mouth or opening of this sperm receptacle, and 

 thereby receive a sufficient portion to cause them to 

 procreate ? And is it true that the female, or queen, 

 is of herself, without being impregnated by the 

 drone, capable of depositing eggs that will produce 

 only drones or males, perfect in all respects, and yet 

 impregnation is absolutely required to produce the 

 female ? 



That this is true, permit me at present to doubt; 

 its assumptions are too extravagant, and so far from 

 harmonizing with all animated nature with which I 

 am in any way conversant, that I am led to believe 

 further observation and closer investigation will be 

 necessary to fully demonstrate the true state of facts, 

 and solve the mystery that yet surrounds this ques- 

 tion. It is true, there are strong arguments in favor 

 of this theory as well as against it, and further ex- 

 periments may prove it to be correct ; yet there are 



