PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 373 
eighth day of her whole existence, lays only male eggs, which are of no 
use whatever to the community, unless they are at the same time provided 
with a sufficient supply of workers. Yet even a queen of this description, 
and sometimes one that is entirely sterile, is treated by them with the same 
respect and homage as a fertile one. This seems to evince an amiable 
feeling in these creatures, attachment to the person as well as to the func- 
tions of the sovereign ; which is further manifested by their unwillingness 
at first to receive a new sovereign upon the loss or death of their old one. 
Nay, this respect is sometimes shown to the carcass of a defunct queen, 
which Huber assures us he has seen bees treat with the same attention 
that they had shown her when alive, for a long time preferring her inani- 
mate corpse to the fertile queens that he offered to them.t_ He attributes 
this to some agreeable sensation which they experience from their queens, 
independent of their fecundity. But since virgin queens, as we have seen, 
do not excite it, more probably it is a remnant of their former attachment, 
first excited by her fecundity, and afterwards strengthened and continued 
by habit. 
1 may here introduce an interesting anecdote related by Reaumur, which 
strongly, marks the attachment of bees to their queen when apparently 
lifeless. He took one out of the water quite motionless, and seemingly 
dead, which had lost part of one of its legs. Bringing it home, he placed 
it amongst some workers, that he had found in the same situation, most of 
which he had revived by means of warmth ; some, however, still being in 
as bad a state as the poor queen. No sooner did these revived workers 
perceive the latter in this wretched condition, than they appeared to com- 
passionate her case, and did not cease to lick her with their tongues till 
she showed signs of returning animation: which the bees no sooner per- 
ceived, than they set up a general hum, as if for joy at the happy event. 
All this time they paid no attention to the workers, who were in the same 
miserable state.” 
Ona former occasion I have mentioned the laying of the eggs by the 
que but as I did not then at all enlarge upon it, I shall now explain 
the process more in detail, In a subsequent letter I shall notice what has 
puzzled learned apiarists—her fecundation; which is now ascertained 
beyond contradiction, from the observations of M. Huber, to take place in 
the open air, and to be followed by the death of the unfortunate male.* 
Itis to be recollected that, from September to April, generally speaking, 
there are no males in the hives ; yet during this period the queen often 
Oviposits : a former fecundation, therefore, must fertilise all the eggs laid in 
this interval. The impregnation, in order to ensure complete fertility, 
Must not be too long retarded: for, as I before observed, if this be delayed 
eyond the twenty-eighth day of her existence, her ovaries become so viti- 
ated that she can no longer lay eggs that will produce workers, but can 
only furnish the hive with a male population ; which, however high a pri- 
Vilege it may be accounted amongst men, is the reverse of it amongst the 
ees, When this is the case, the abdomen of the queen becomes so en- 
larged that she is no longer able to fly +; and what is remarkable, she loses 
that instinctive animosity which stimulates the fertile ones to attack their 
tvals.6 Thus she seems to own that she is not equal to the duties of her 
‘ Huber, i, 822, ® Reaum, v. 265. 5 Huber, i. 68—. 
Schirach, 257, ®& Huber, i. 8319—. 
BBS 
