MANAGEMENT OF HONEY BEES 123 
more irrefragable is the alleged fact estab- 
lished, if the result be uniformly the same. 
Of the experiment I am now about to de- 
tail, the sole object was to prove the existence 
of the power inherent in the Bees of rearing 
an artificial queen, when deprived by any 
accident of their original mother. This, in- 
deed, has been proved, but only incidentally ; 
and I was anxious, by an experiment insti- 
tuted exclusively for that object, and con- 
ducted with minute and scrupulous accu- 
racy, to put the matter out of all doubt in 
my own mind at least. In June my obser- 
vaotry hive was full of Bees, brood and 
honey, the queen was very fertile and laying 
at the rate of about 100 eggs aday. I opened 
the hive and carried her off. For about five 
hours the Beés continued their labors as ear- 
nestly and contentedly as if she were still 
with them. At the end of that time they be- 
came aware of their loss, and all was instant- 
ly agitation and tumult. The Bees hurried 
backwards and farwards over the comb with 
a, loud noise, rushed in crowds to the door 
