R A B R A B 
Queen Bees lay only two kinds of eggs, namely, 
fiich as produce the drones, and thofefroin which 
the working Bees are to proceed ; and from any 
one CI more of thefe one or more Queens rnav 
be produced : fo that every worm of the latter, 
or common kind, which hn;^ been hatched about 
three days, is capable, under certain reilri6lions, 
of becoming the Queen or mother of the hive. 
In proof of this d-^^'ilrine, new and fingular as it 
mav appear, he aiiedges a number of fatisfaftory 
and declfivc experiments, which have fince been 
verified by others. The conclufion of his obfer- 
vations informs us, that all the common or work- 
ing Bees are origin-ill y of the female fex ; but,, af- 
ter having und'Tgone their laft metamorphoHs, 
they are condemned to a (late of perpetual virgi- 
nity; and the organs of generation are obliterated, 
merely by tlieir being lodged, fed, and brought 
up in a particular manner while in their worm 
ftate. He iikewife infers, that the worm de- 
figned by the community to be a Queen, owes it's 
metamorphofis into that dignified individual, 
partly to the extraordinary fize of it's cell, and 
it's peculiar pofition there; but more particularly 
to a ceri.ain appropriate nutriinent with wliich the 
working Bees carefully fupply it while in the 
embrvo ftate. See Bee. 
QLJERQUEDULA. A term by which fom.e 
authors exprefs the teal. See Teal. 
QUICKHATCH. An appellation given by 
fome naturalifts to the wolverene, a variety of the 
glutton, found in Canada and Hudfon's Bay, See 
Wolverene. 
QUIJUBATUI. An American fpecies -f 
parroquet, about the fize of a lark, and gf-nerally 
of a yellow colour. The eyes are black; the 
beak is grey ; the edges of the wings arc of a duflcy 
green hue; and the tail is long and yellow. 
Tnis bird is remarkably beautiful, and tamed 
•with the greateft eafe. 
QUILAQUIL. A Philippine name for an 
elegant fpecies of parrot very common in thofe 
iflands, whofe whole body is of a vivid green co- 
lour. It is fmaller than the common parrot; 
and fo extremely wild, that it can neither be 
tamed nor taught thofe acquirements of which the 
congenerous birds are generally fufceptible. 
QUIRPELE. A fmall animal of the weaiel 
kind; denominated by different authors the In- 
dian ferret, Vivc;Ta Indica, and the Qui!, 
Some naturalifts, who give very remarkable 
accounts of the enmity which this creature bears 
to all kindr. of ferpents, tell us, that when this 
little animal meditates an attack on one of thefe 
reptiles, it firft gnaws a quantity of me root of the 
lignum colubrinum, or fnake-wood, as an anti- 
dote again ft danger; and after It has fully impreg- 
nated it's faliva, it anoints it's whole body there- 
with; and then boldly attacks the fnake, which 
it never quits before it has obtained a compleat 
viftory. It is indeed probable th ir this creature 
may attack a fnake when almoft famiO^ed with 
hunger; but the relation of it's mode of findins: 
a prefervative againft poifon favours too much of 
t!,L fabulous to be entirely believed: though, it 
muft be allowed, the inftinft of animals is fuch, 
that it is difficult to aiftinguifli between real qua- 
lities and fi(5litious attributes, where the creatures 
themfelves are not fubjedled to frequent and accu- 
rate obfervurion. 
OyOJAS M0RR0V7, A term by which 
the Africans deno.r.nate the oarang outang. 
QUOLL. An appellation ufed by the natives 
of N w-Holiand to exprefs an animal refcmbling 
the poiie-cat; v^ith a brown back fpotted with 
white; and the beliy of a pure white colour j ia 
which it differs from others of this kind. 
QUURBATOS. An African bird of the 
king-fifher kind, about the f ze of a fparrow, and 
coveted with very beautiful variegated plumage. 
The bill IS long, ftrong, fharp, and armed on 
the infide with fmall teeth relembling thofe of a 
fav/. 
Thefe birds fkim the air and furface of the wa- 
ter with prodigious fwiftnefs; and on the banks 
of the Senegal they are numerous beyond concep- 
tion. Their nefts, which are compofed of earth 
mixed with mofs and feathers, arefo artfully con- 
ftructed, as to be water-proof: and Le Maire in- 
forms us, that they are ufually fufpended from 
the flender branches of palm-trees, where they 
hang by reeds or ftraws of about a foot and a 
half in length, at the extremities of which they 
appear like fo many balls pendent in the air. 
ABBIT. A well-known animal of the hare 
kind, of which there are feveral fpecies. 
Rabbit, Common; the Lepus Cuniculus of 
Linneeus. The hare and the Rabbit, though they 
nearly refemble each other in their form and dif- 
pofition, are neverthelefs diftinft kinds, and re- 
fufe to engender together. Buffbn bred up feve- 
ral of both kinds in the fame place; but, from 
being at firft indifferent, they foon became ene- 
mies, and often fought till one of the parties was 
cither difabled or deftroyed. It is however af- 
ferted by fome naturalifts, that an animal is often 
produced between the two kinds, which, like the 
mule, is marked with fteriiiiy. 
Pliny judicioufly remarks, that nature has been 
particularly beneficent in rendering thofe animals 
moft prolific which are the moft innocent in their 
lives, and of the greateft utility to man. The fe- 
cundity of the Rabbit finely illuftrates this obfer- 
vaiion : this creature will breed feven times in 
one year, and perhaps bring forth eight young 
each time: and, on a fuppofition that this haopens 
regularly for four years, a fingle pair will in that 
time multiply to one million, two hundred and 
feventy-four thoufand, eight hundred and forty. 
From this account, we might juftly be appreheAi- 
five of being overftocked with their numbers, if 
they v/cre not uiminifhed by every beaft and bird 
