120 _ TREATISE ON THE 
food from around thethird worm left behind, 
oh purpose to prevent its conversion to a 
queen.” The fact of this power possessed 
by the Bees is so extraordinary, that it was at 
first called in question by several eminent 
naturalists, among others, by the justly cele- 
brated Bonnatt. This naturalist was at last, 
however, convinced of its reality by experi-- 
ments instituted by himself, and satisfied that 
all the working Bees are females of imper- 
fect organization, expressed his opinion that 
the evolution of the germ |is affected by the 
action of the prolific matter as a stimulant, 
as a substantial nutriment suitable for that 
purpose, and he supposes that a certain qua- 
lity of food, administered more copiously 
than in ee cases, may unfold those or- 
gans in the larve of Bees that never would 
have appeared without it. 
He conceived also that a habitation like a 
queen cell, considerably more spacious and 
differently placed, is absolutely necessary to 
the complete development of organs which 
the new nutriment may cause to grow in all 
