RAISING AND INTRODLXTION OF QUEENS. 307 
duced. Mr. Alley’s arrangement is practically as 
follows: A frame (Fig. 84), say, lin. wide, fitting the 
hive in use, is divided by partitions* {p) into a number 
of small spaces about 2^in. square, and into these are 
fitted cages (c), consisting of a wooden block, covered 
on both sides by wire cloth, and having two holes 
above, into one of which the queen-cell is inserted, 
while the other receives a sponge dipped in honey, to 
supply the queen with food. Mr. Jones makes a nursery 
in which the queen-cell is held clipped by an india- 
j rubber band, and gives a little trough of food beneath, 
adding a few bees as attendants ; but the principle is 
the same. 
The frame being placed in the centre of a strong 
stock, with the queen-cells fixed in position, the latter, 
in due course, hatch ; but, strange as it may appear, 
a normal colony will certainly allow the queens to 
starve, while even a queenless one will generally 
refuse to feed them. They are, therefore, dependent 
upon the added food, in the form of honey, or 
I honey and sugar ; and although the queens, under 
I these conditions, will continue to subsist even for 
I weeks, they undoubtedly suffer from a most preju- 
j dicial defect in their diet. Queens, between hatch- 
■ ing and mating, are normally great consumers of 
pollen (page 84, Vol. I) ; and this is required, as fur- 
nishing nitrogenous material, to add to the volume of 
! their tissues. Queens allowed access to sugars only, 
' become attenuated, although not visibly reduced — for 
the hard, chitinous envelope prevents external shrink- 
' age — and the bowel contains, instead of abundant 
* Mr. Alley uses no partitions — a source of much inconvenience. 
X 2 
