Page:Jardine Naturalist's library Bees.djvu/102

98 maturity. Within the space of six weeks, we saw the foundations laid of fourteen or fifteen royal cells, and at the last removal, no fewer than three Queens were visible at the same moment on the surface of the comb; yet we had not the good fortune to witness a regular combat between any two of them. The first hatched of the three, we had reason to conclude, dispatched two of her rivals, but without our witnessing the deed of death. The third we saw her sting repeatedly, at the instant of the former emerging from her cell, and without any attempt on the part of the bees to restrain her. The wounded Queen had strength enough to move a few inches across the comb, when she paused, and seemed to sicken from the effects of the venom; she moved again, with a very languid step, an inch or two, and then stopped; her limbs became visibly paralyzed, and in a few minutes she dropped lifeless to the bottom of the hive.—From all these experiments, it seems now a fact established beyond all doubt, that Bees can at all times procure a Queen for themselves, provided they have a comb containing larvæ not more than three days old, in the common cells, and that nothing but certain important conditions, such as a particular kind of food and more spacious lodgment, are requisite for the conversion of common larvæ into Queens. At the same time, it ought to be candidly confessed, that while the fact itself seems now completely established, there are circumstances connected with it which we are unable satisfactorily to explain. That a more abundant supply of food, and