I 
10 THE QUEEN-BEE, 
and legs are very yellow j but the 
upper part of her body is nearly of 
a glossy black Beyond the wings, 
she has four rings, while the work- 
ers have only three She is armed 
with a sting, which, however, she ne¬ 
ver uses, but against rival queens. 
The qu een is tile mother of the 
whole swarm: she produces* and de¬ 
posits in the cells (of the comb*) mi¬ 
nute eggs* from which the young bees 
are hatched; but first she must have 
concourse with the males. 
Diversified were the opinions of 
different naturalists on the subject of 
the queens impregnation* before the 
truth was discovered. Swammerdam* 
