Longevity of the Honey-Bee. 59 
The period at which the queen bee deposits her greatest number 
of eggs is the spring, and it has been emphatically called the great 
laying. I think the facts above stated amply justify the opinion, 
that all the bees brought into existence by this laying, die before 
winter, and are succeeded by those hatched at intervals during sum- 
mer and autumn, and in mild weather, during part of the winter also. 
The proportion of eggs deposited by the queen at these latter layings, 
when compared with the great laying in spring, accounts satisfac- 
torily, upon the theory above stated, for the great disparity in the 
populousness of a storified or collateral family of bees, at different 
periods of the year. This view of the matter renders it more than 
probable, therefore, that the life of the working bee does not exceed 
six or seven months. 
In order to illustrate my theory I will give below a summary, 
which, though not pretending to minute precision, may possess suf- 
ficient for the purpose. 
Bees constituting a family in February, 3000 
Spring bred bees, 17000 
Summer and autumn do, 6000 
26000 
Removed by death between February and December, - 23000 
Thus bringing the family down to the February number, 3000 
Thus far I was conducted by theory : a theory which I propound- 
ed to my apiarian friends several years ago, and which they all re- 
garded as being invulnerable : I have recently had an opportunity 
of confirming its general correctness by the result of an experiment, 
the particulars of which I will now detail. 
On the 13th of June 1835, I introduced a prime swarm to my 
mirror-hive, the early proceedings of which bore so close a resem- 
blance to those which occurred to Mr Dunbar, as reported in the 
Edinburgh Philosophical Magazine, that I need not detail them here. 
On the first of July, when the queen was in the midst of her laying 
of drone-eggs, and when the hive was well stored with honey, eggs 
and brood in all stages, I removed her majesty from the family. 
Though I watched assiduously from early morn till late at night, 
for several days, no agitation was perceptible. Still I concluded 
that the bees were aware of the loss they had sustained, as on the 
second day I perceived the foundation of four royal cells, which were 
closely attended to by the workers. The general business of the 
family went on with as much alacrity as usual, pollen was duly car- 
ried in, honey-cells were stored and sealed over, brood cells cleared 
