314 
BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 
is run in. Some consider such introducing safe only 
after the nuclei have their queen-cells capped, which 
will be from three to six days after they are formed ; 
but I have always endeavoured to get a young queen 
in some time between twenty-four and forty-eight 
hours after formation. I have, in many instances, 
failed to have my queens on hand as soon as I 
intended, and have this season run queens into nuclei 
of all ages, from six hours to as many days, and I think 
not a single failure has beset our efforts. We have 
found about one in fifteen of our nuclei queenless ; 
but as we seldom look after these matters previous 
to a week after introducing, and have in no case 
found queen-cells on the combs, I infer that these 
queens were accepted, but were lost on their mating 
trip, or otherwise, afterwards.” This question of in- 
troducing virgins will come before us again presently ; 
but we have yet to discuss one or two points in 
reference to the selection of our breeding stock. 
I remember well one of the most, if not the most, 
scientific of British poultry-fanciers, remarking that he 
had long desired to establish a breed with a special 
type of feather. “Give me a bird,” said he, “with but 
one feather such as I seek, and I shall not despair ; 
but that bird has not yet been found me.” The idea 
here involved is of general application to all animal 
and vegetable races. Any peculiarity, if of service, 
may, by natural processes, continued through long 
periods, become settled into a specific characteristic, 
or may be quickly intensified by careful breeding, man 
practically leaping to the goal of natural selection, and, 
bridging over what ages upon ages could only have 
