RAISING AND INTRODUCTION OF QUEENS. 339 
to the strange queen when they are least likely to be 
amiable ; but this criticism does not apply to a form 
of introduction which, though of the nature of caging, 
seems to belong equally to our third head. It has 
long been known that if a queen-cell, containing a 
nymph, be opened at the base, so as to remove its 
occupant and to give place to the queen we intend 
to provide, a little thinning of the end, in which a 
large pinhole is made, will convert it into a very 
successful introducing-cage, care being taken that 
the bees do not tear it open above, either closing 
it well by wax-sheet, or protecting it by Mr. Doo- 
little’s guard (Fig. 79). In 1874, Mr. Wood, of 
Nyborg, Denmark, exhibited some imitation queen- 
cells, cast in wax, which were to be used in this 
way, but occasional failures caused them to be 
regarded with disfavour. Mr. Simmins frequently 
gives a virgin queen, by using a cage somewhat like 
the Doolittle (Fig. 79). It is made of coffee-strainer, 
and is cylindrical in form, iMn. long by a bare Mn. in 
diameter. The end is closed by pressing the edges 
of the cylinder upon a thin piece of foundation, thus 
cutting out a plug. The queen is placed within, head 
downwards, and gnaws out and escapes, much as she 
did from her natural cradle. The conditions being 
so like normal ones, the stranger behaves as though 
at home, and is generally received without question. 
Stupefying by the fumes of smouldering puff-ball, 
or Lycoperdon, in order to introduce alien queens, 
has long been practised, the Rev. G. Raynor employ- 
ing it successfully when the art of queen-introduction 
was in its infancy. Since it is much more troublesome 
Z 2 
