BREEDING. 
67 
is its food, without doubt. How this food is prepared, 
is merely guess-work. The hypothesis of its being 
chiefly composed of pollen, I have no objection to ; 
as it is sufficiently proved by the quantities that accu- 
mulate in hives that lose their queen, and rear no 
brood (that is, when a requisite number of workers 
are so left). The workers may be seen entering the 
cell every few minutes, probably, to supply this food.* 
TIME FROM THE EGG TO THE PERFECT BEE. 
In about six days it is sealed over with a convex 
waxen lid. It is now hidden from our sight for about 
twelve days, when it bites off the cover, and comes 
forth a perfect bee. The period from the egg to the 
perfect bee varies from twenty to twenty-four days ; 
average about twenty-two for workers, twenty-four 
for drones. The temperature of the hive will vary 
some with the atmosphere ; it is also governed by the 
number of bees. A low temperature probably retards 
the dcvelopemnt, while a high one facilitates it. 
You may have seen accounts of the assiduous atten- 
tions given to the young bee when it first emerges 
from the cell : ’tis said they “ lick it all over, feed it 
with honey,” &c., desperately pleased with their new 
acquisition. 
ROUGH TREATMENT OF THE YOUNG BEE. 
Now, if you expect to see anything of this, you 
must watch a little closer than I have. I have seen 
* When the comb in our glass hive is new, ami white, these ope- 
rations can be seen more distinctly than when very old and dark. 
