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PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 



should thus endeavour to retard the appearance of their 

 young females beyond its natural limit ; but when I explain 

 to you the reason for this seeming incongruity of instinct, 

 you will adore the wisdom that implanted it. Were a queen 

 permitted to leave her cell as soon the natural term for it 

 arrived, it would require some time to fit her for flight, and 

 to lead forth a swarm ; during which interval a troublesome 

 task would be imposed upon the workers, who must con- 

 stantly detain her a prisoner to prevent her from destroying 

 her rivals, which would require the labours and attention of 

 a much larger number than are necessary to keep her con- 

 fined to her cell. On this account they never suffer her to come 

 forth till she is perfectly fit to take her flight. When at length 

 she is permitted to do this, if she approaches the other royal 

 cells the workers on guard seem greatly irritated against her, 

 and pull and bite and chase her away ; and she enjoys 

 tranquillity only while she keeps at a distance from them. 

 As her instinct is constantly urging her to attack them, this 

 proceeding is frequently repeated. Sometimes, standing in a 

 particular and commanding attitude, she utters that authori- 

 tative sound which so much affects the bees ; they then all 

 hang down their heads and remain motionless ; but as soon 

 as it ceases, they resume their opposition. At last she 

 becomes violently agitated, and communicating her agitation 

 to others, the confusion more and more increases, till a swarm 

 leaves the hive, which she either precedes or follows. In the 

 same manner the other young queens are treated while there 

 are swarms to go forth ; but when the hive is sufficiently 

 thinned, and it becomes troublesome to guard them in the 

 manner here described, they come forth unnoticed, and fight 

 unimpeded till one alone remains to fill the deserted throne 

 of the parent hive. You see here the reason why the eggs 

 that produce these queens are not laid at the same time, but 

 after some interval, that they may come forth successively. 

 For did they all make their appearance together, it would be 

 a much more laborious and difficult task to keep them from 

 destroying each other. 



When the bees thus delay the entrance of the young 

 queens into their world, they invariably let out the oldest 



