NATURAL HISTORY, — 93 
Bach of thefe are covered carefully with wax; fo clofe, that the covers 
teem to be made at the very inftant the fluid is depofited within ther. 
Having thus given a curfory defcription of the infect, individually 
fonfidered, and of the habitation it forms, we next come to its focial 
habits and inftitutions: and, in confidering this little animal attentively, 
after the neceflary precautions for the immediate prefervation of the 
community, its fecond care is turned to the continuance of pofterity. 
Ow numerous foever the multitude of bees may appear in one fwarm, 
yet they all owe their original to a fingle parent, which is called the 
Queen-Bee. It is indeed furprifing that a fingle infe& fhall, in one 
fummer, give birth to above twenty thoufand young: but, upon open- 
ing her body, the wonder will ceafe; as the number of eggs appearing, 
At one time, amounts to five thoufand. This animal, whofe exiltence 
is of {uch importange to her fubje&s, may eafily be diftinguithed from 
the ret, by her fize, and the fhape of her body. On her fafety de- 
Pends the whole welfare of the commonwealth; and the attentions paid 
her by all the reft of the fwarm, evidently ihew the dependence her 
fubje&s have upon her fecurity. If this infeét be carefully obferved, 
the will be feen at times attended with a numerous retinue, marching 
from cell to cell, plunging the extremity of her body into many of 
them, and leaving a fmall egg in each. 
The bees which generally compofe her train, are thought to be males, — 
Which ferve to impregnate her by.turns.. Thefe are larger and blacker 
than the common bees; without flings, and without induftry. They 
feem formed only to tranfmit a pofterity; and to attend the queen, 
whenever fhe thinks proper to iflue from the fecret retreats of the hive, 
Where fhe moft ufually refides. Upon the union of thefe two kinds 
depends all expectations of a future progeney; for the working bees 
@re of no fex, and only labour for another offspring: yet fuch is their 
&ttention to their queen, that if fhe happens to die, they will leave off 
Working, and take no farther care of pofterity. If, however, another 
: ae in this ftate of univerfal defpair prefented them, they imme- 
diately acknowledge her for foverign, and once more diligently apply 
to their labour. It muft be obferved, however, that all this fertility 
Of the queen-bee, and the great attentions paid to her by the reft, are_ 
fontroverted by more recent obfervers. ‘They affert, that the com- 
Mon bees are parents themfelves; that they depofit their eggs in the 
‘ells which they have prepared; that the females are impregnated by 
€ males, and bring forth a progeny, which is wholly their own. 
However, to go on with their hiftory, as delivered us by Mr Reau- 
™ur—-When the queen-bee has depofited the number of eggs neceflary 
'm the cells, the working bees undertake the care of the rifing pofterity, 
ey are feen to leave off their ufual employments; to conitrué pra- 
Per receptacles for eggs; or to complete thofe that are already formed. 
hey purpofely build little cells, extremely folid, for the young; in 
ich they employ a great deal of wax: thofe defigned for lodging the 
les, as was already obferved, are larger’ than the reft; and thote for 
© queen-bees the largeft of all. There is ufually but one ege depos 
fited in every cell; but when the fecundity of the queen is fuch, that 
€xceeds the number of cells already prepared, there are fometimeg ~ 
“tee or four eggs crowded together in the fame apartment. But this 
8 an inconvenience ‘that the working bees will by. no means fuffer, 
. a They 
