64 Account of the Queen Bee. 
to continue in the hive for many months, 
One circumftance inclines me to think, that 
the bees intended them to be of fome ufe for 
rearing Queens, as I never faw thefe falfe roy- 
al cells reared, but when the hive wanted a 
Queen. I am equally certain, however, on the 
other hand, that I have never once feen an egg 
or decayed maggot in any of them. I own 
that fome common cells will fometimes be feal- 
ed up, as if there were young bees in them, al-_ 
though none would ever appear. All of thefe, — 
however, had eggs in them at firft, which had. 
decayed and rotten, by cold or fome other ac- 
cident. But this I never found to be the cafe, — 
in thofe falfe royal cells, not one of which ap- _ 
peared to have ever had one inthem. ‘There- 
fore, when we leave a hive without a Queen, 
we cannot pofitively fay, that the bees will 
rear one for themfelves : yet were the practice 
eligible in every other refpeét, we might truft 
to it, as {carcely one cafe in a‘dozen fails. But 
if a royal cell, on the 2d, 3d, or 4th day, af- 
ter it is erected, appear to have an egg, or 
fome of the whitith matter in it, a Queen may 
be depended upon, to be produced in due time, 
if no accident prevent. ls 
That 
