368 PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 
which they often exhibit, and the distrust which for a time (as we shall 
see hereafter) they usually show towards strange ones even when deprived 
of their own, one would expect that, rather than permit such a perilous 
combat, they would unite in the defence of their sovereign, and cause the 
interloper to perish under the stroke of their fatal stings. But no; the 
contest for empire must be between the rival candidates ; no worker must 
interfere in any other way than that which I have described ; no contend- 
ing armies must fight the battles of their sovereigns, for the law of succes- 
sion seems to be “ detur fortiori.” But to return to my narrative. The 
legitimate queen appearing inclined to move towards that part of the comb 
on which her rival was stationed, the bees immediately began to retire 
from the space that intervened between them, so that there was soon a 
clear arena for the combat. When they could discern each other, the 
rightful queen, rushing furiously upon the pretender, seized her with her 
jaws near the root of the wings, and, after fixing her without power of 
motion against the comb, with one stroke of her sting despatched her. 
If ever so many queens are introduced into a hive, all but one will perish, 
and that one will have won the throne by her own unassisted valour and 
strength. Sometimes a strange queen attempts of herself to enter a hive: 
in this case the workers, who are upon the watch, and who examine every 
thing that presents itself, immediately seize her with their jaws by the 
legs or wings, and hem her in so straitly with a clustered circle of guards, 
turning their heads on all sides towards her, that it is impossible for her 
to penetrate within. If they retain her prisoner too long, she dies either 
from the want of food or air, but never from their stings. 
Here you may perhaps feel curious to know, supposing the reigning 
queen to die or be killed, and the bees to have discovered their loss, 
whether they would then receive a foreigner that offers herself to them or 
is introduced amongst them. Reaumur says they would do this imme- 
diately 7; but Huber, who had better means of observing them, and studied 
them with more undivided attention, affirms that this will not be the case, 
unless twenty-four hours have elapsed since the death of the old queen. 
Previously to this period, as if they were absorbed by grief at their cala- 
mity, or indulged a fond hope of her revival, an intruder would be treated 
exactly as I have described. But when the period just mentioned is past, 
they will receive any queen that is presented to them with the customary 
homage, and she may occupy the vacant throne.® 
I must now beg you to attend to what takes place in the second case 
that I mentioned, where queens are wanted to lead forth swarms. Here 
you will, with reason, suppose that nature has instilled some instinct into 
the bees, by which these necessary individuals are rescued from the fury of 
the reigning sovereign. 
Did the old queen of the hive remain in it till the young ones were ready 
to come forth, her instinctive jealousy would lead her to attack them all as 
successively produced; and being so much older and stronger, the proba- 
bility is that she would destroy them, in which case there could be no 
swarms, and the race would perish. But this is wisely prevented by a 
circumstance which invariably takes place—that the first swarm is con- 
ducted by this queen, and not by a newly disclosed one, as Reaumur and 
others have supposed, Previously to her departure, after her great laying 
1 Huber, i. $6, 2 Reaum. y. 268. 3 Huber, i. 190. 
