THE farmer’s manual. 
U& 
The parlicula;' laws of instinct, begin to govern the 
Bee as soon as it quits its nymphal state, and is capa- 
ble of action ; and one uniform system of order regu- 
lates his movements, in union with the whole swarni, 
throughout all their instinctive operations. As well 
might the wise man have said. Go to the Bee thou 
sluggard, consider her ways and be wise. 
CHAP. II. 
Description of the Queen Bee. 
In our last chapter, we noticed the character of the 
Bee, and the instinctive character of a swarm, or com- 
munity, with its queen Bee, as the mother and ruler of 
the family ; as an elective monarchy, upon the death of 
the queen ; and a monarchy with a community of pro- 
perty ; and nature’s immutable instinctive laws as 
their only guide. This chapter describes the queen 
mother, as not formed by nature for labour, but torm- 
eJ only to rule, and to breed. Her teeth and her 
wings are unfit for labour, being much shorter than 
the common Bees, and the drones. The body of 
the queen is much longer and slimer than the otluv 
Bees, her belly of a bright yellow, and her back 
and wings, of a brighter hue. The ejueen pos- 
sesses an astonishing fecundity, unequalled by any 
thing in nature, except the fish ; her body is re- 
plete will) eggs, arranged in two ovaria, and prepar- 
ed ft)!' the breeding season. These she deposits in 
her cells, so long as a cell is vacant, and thus lays 
the foundation for the young swarm. 1 say lays the 
foundation, but whether perfect, or imperfect, is yet 
a question ; the fecundity of the Bee after all the 
elaborate research of man, is yet a mystery unsettled 
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