THE HONEY-BEE. 
61 
about the fifth day of her age; and she continues 
to deposit eggs of the same kind for the succeeding 
eleven months; after which she commences laying 
those of males. It is during the depositing of 
these last, that the Bees are led by their instinct to 
lay the foundation of royal cells, in which, if the 
population he abundant, the Queen deposits eggs at 
intervals of one or two days between each. In the 
operation of laying, which we have a thousand times 
witnessed, the Queen puts her head into a cell, and 
remains in that position about a second or two, as if 
to ascertain whether it is in a fit state to receive the 
deposit. She then withdraws her head, curves her 
body downwards, inserts her abdomen into the cell, 
and turns half round on herself; having kept this 
position for a few seconds, she withdraws her body, 
having in the mean time laid an egg. The egg itself, 
which is attached to the bottom of the cell by a glu- 
tinous matter with which it is imbued, is of a slender 
oval shape, slightly curved, rather more pointed 
in the lower end than in the other. She passes on 
from cell to cell, furnishing each with the germ 
of a future inhabitant ; and during these proceedings, 
she receives the most marked and affectionate atten- 
tion from the workers. She is seen continually 
surrounded by a circle of them, who caress her fondly 
with their antenna, and occasionally supply her with 
food from their prohosces. This appearance has 
given rise to the notion commonly entertained, and 
asserted even by some Naturalists, that the Queen is 
followed in her progress through the hive by a num- 
