Wor'klng^-Bees into Qit/een-Bees. SS 
slve answer to his objections, and to those of any others who 
may be sceptical on the point. 
In July the Mirror-Hive was full of comb, bees, brood, and 
honey, — the queen very fertile, and laying at the rate of 100 
egg^ per diem. I opened the hive and took her away. For 
eighteen hours they continued to labour as if she were still with 
them ; at the end of that time they missed lier, and all was in- 
stantly agitation and tumult ; the bees hurried backwards and 
forwards over the comb with a loud noise, rushed in crowds to 
tlie door, and out of the hive as if they were swarming, and, in 
short, exhibiced all the symptoms of bereavement and despair. 
Next morning they had laid the foundation of five queen cells, 
having demolished the three contiguous cells to the one contain- 
ing a worm which suited their purpose, and by the afternoon 
four more, all in parts of the comb where before were nothing 
but eggs and common worms of one or two days old. Two of 
these royal cells advanced more rapidly in size than the rest, 
probably from the larvm being of an age fittest for the purpose ; 
four came on more slowly, and three made no progress after the 
third day. On the seventh day the two first were sealed, two 
more were nearly so, all the rest continued stationary, and in 
fact remained so, as if the bees, satisfied that they had at least 
secured one queen, did not think it necessary to carry forward 
the others to maturity. On the morning of the fourteenth day 
from the removal of their old queen, a young one emerged from 
her cell, strong, active, and exactly resembling those produced 
in the natural way. While examining her motions, I saw her 
hasten to the other royal cell, which had been closed about the 
same time with the one from which she had come, and attempt 
to tear it open, doubtless with a view of destroying its inmate ; 
but the working-bees pulled her away with violence, and con- 
tinued to do so as often as she made the attempt. At every re- 
pulse, she stood, in a sulky posture apparently, on the comb, 
and emitted the shrill peep peep., so well known to bee-masters, 
while the unhatched queen at the same time sent forth a peep 
also, but of a hoarser kind. And this accounts for the two dif- 
ferent sounds which are generally heard in the evening from 
a hive about to throw a second swarm. The shrill sound pro- 
ceeds from the reigning queen, and seems to express her ra.ge 
