Mr. Hunter's Observations on Bees. 183 
at the root of the wing, vibrating. I have observed that they, 
or some of them, make a noise the evenings before they swarm, 
which is a kind of ring, or sound of a small trumpet : by 
comparing it with the notes of the piano forte, it seemed to be 
the same with the lower A of the treble. 
Of the Female Parts. 
I may here observe, that insects differ from most of the 
classes of animals above them, in having their eggs formed in 
the ducts along which they pass ; not in a cluster on the back, 
as in some fish (for instance all of the ray kind, or what are 
called the amphibia), in the bird, and as is supposed in the qua- 
druped ; from thence the eggs are taken up, and by the ducts 
are carried along to their places of destination. 
Of the Oviducts. 
The female of the common bee, similar to all the females of 
the bee tribe, has six oviducts on each side, beginning by very 
small, and almost imperceptible threads, as high as the chest : 
they then form one cord coiled up, or pass very serpentine, 
and become larger and larger as they approach the anus, 
owing to the gradual increased size of the eggs in them, which 
are now more distinct, and give the duct a sort of interrupted 
appearance, toward the lower end. The six ducts, when 
full of eggs, make a kind of quadrangle ; then all unite into 
one duct, which enters the duct common to it and the ovi- 
ducts of the other side. The ducts common to the six oviducts 
on each side, are extremely tender ; so much so, that it is dif- 
