56 Account of ibe Queen Bee. 
was beginning to carry well, and to breed fait, 
but it was not half full of bees. It had only 
one Queen, but neither Drene nor royal cell; 
neither of which could be expected at that 
feafon of the year, as it was about the middle 
of April. I took out the Queen, and moft 
part of the bees, and left the hive with only 
fome common bees, to hatch out the young 
brood in the cells, and provide themfelves 
with a Queen, but without leaving one fingle 
Drone. They did not difappoint me; for as foon 
as the melancholy intelligence pervaded the hive, 
that their loving mother was torn from them, 
they made a mourning kind of noife for their 
great lofs, for about two hours: After which,a 
general council, as it would feem, being called, 
the moft experienced fages, in the diftreffed re- 
public, may be fuppofed to have advifed their 
brethren, “ That it was in vain to mourn 
longer for the lofs ef their mother and bro- 
thers; that although they were gone, and ale 
though they had at prefent no royal cell to 
raife another mother, yet they had ftill fuff- 
cient refources from nature and their own im 
duftry; that they had power and means to 
raife a young monarch to the throne; that 
they had plenty of new laid eggs, and there- 
| fare 
