Page:Jardine Naturalist's library Bees.djvu/98

94 stranger had by this time been dispatched, though not in our sight) occupied herself in laying eggs, often within an inch or two of the prisoner, going about her avocations with as much unconcern as if she knew that her subjects would, of themselves, soon and effectually rid her of her puny rival. In two hours from her birth, accordingly, the body of the young queen dropped lifeless from the dense mass of her inexorable guards. Of the other experiment which we are now to detail, the sole object was to prove the existence of the power inherent in the Bees of rearing an artificial queen, when deprived by any accident of their original mother. This, indeed, had been proved by the experiment above detailed, but only incidentally; and we were anxious, by an experiment instituted exclusively for that object, and conducted with minute and scrupulous accuracy, to put the matter out of all doubt in our own mind at least. In July, our experimental hive was full of bees, brood and honey; the Queen was very fertile, and laying at the rate of more than 100 eggs a-day. We opened the hive and carried her off. For about eighteen hours the bees continued their labours as earnestly and contentedly as if she were still with them. At the end of that time, they became aware of their loss, and all was instantly agitation and tumult; the bees hurried backwards and forwards over the comb with a loud noise, rushed in crowds to the door and out of the hive, as if going to swarm; and, in short, exhibited all the symptoms of bereavement and despair. Next morning, they had laid the foundations of five royal cells, having demolished the three cells contiguous to each of those