art her agitation but not at the time of swarming.
Therefore I took two females still virgins, but capable of fecundation
for above five days, and put one in a glass hive sufficiently populous;
the other I put into a different hive of the same kind. Then I shut the
hives in such a way that there was no possibility of their escape. The
air had free circulation. I then prepared to observe the hives every
moment that the fineness of the weather would invite both males and
females to go abroad, for the purpose of fecundation. Next morning, the
weather being gloomy, no male left the hive, and the bees were tranquil;
but towards eleven of the following day, the sun shining bright, both
queens began to run about seeking an exit from every part of their
dwelling; and from their inability to find one, traversed the combs with
the most evident symptoms of disquiet and agitation. The bees soon
participated of the same disorder; they crowded towards that part of the
hive where the openings were placed; unable to escape they ascended with
equal rapidity, and ran heedlessly over the cells until four in the
afternoon. It is nearly about this time that the sun declining in the
horizon recalls the males; queens requiring fecundation never remain
later abroad. The two females became calmer, and tranquillity was in a
short time restored. This was repeated several subsequent days with
perfect similarity; and I am now convinced that there is nothing
singular in the agitation of bees while swarming, but that they are
always in a tumultuous state when the queen herself is in agitation.

I have but one fact more to mention. It has already been observed, that
on losing the female, bees give the larvae of simple workers the royal
treatment, and, according to M. Schirach, in five or six days they
repair the loss of their queen. In this case there are no swarms. All
the females leave their cells almost at the same moment, and after a
bloody combat the throne remains with the most fortunate.

I can very well comprehend that the object of nature is to replace the
lost queen; but as bees are at liberty to choose either the eggs or
worms of workers, during the first three days of existence; to supply
her place, why do they give the royal treatment to worms, all of nearly
an equal age, and which must undergo their last metamorphosis almost at
the same time? Since they are enabled to retain the young females in
their cells, why do they allow all the que