The queen-bee is generally concealed in the moft fecret part of the hive, and is never visible but when the lays her eggs in fuch combs as are exposed to fight. When the does appear, she is always attended by ten or a dozen of the common fort, who form a kind of retinue, and follow her wherever she goes with a fedate and grave tread. Before the lays her eggs, fhe examines the cells where the defigns to lay them; and if fhe finds that they contain neither honey, wax, nor any embryo, fhe introduces the pofterior part of her body into a cell, and fixes to the bottom of it a fmall white egg, which is compofed of a thin white mem brane, full of a whitish liquor. In this manner fhe goes on, till fhe fills as many cells as he has eggs to fay, which are generally many thoufands. Sometimes more than one egg has been depofited in the fame cell; when this is the cafe, the working bees remove the fupernumerary eggs, and leave only one in each cell. On the firft or fecond day after the egg is lodged in the cell, the drone bee injects a fmall quantity of whitish liquid, which in about a day is abforbed by the egg. On the third or fourth day is produced a worm or maggot; which, when it is grown fo as to touch the oppofite angle, coils itself up in the shape of a femicircle, and floats in a proper liquid, whereby it is nourished and enlarged in its dimenfions. This liquor is of a whitish colour, of the thickness of cream, and of an infipid tafte like flour and water. Naturalists are not agreed as to the origin and qualities of this liquid. Some have fuppofed, that it confifts of fome generative matter, injected by the working bees into each cell, in order to give fecundity to the egg: but the moft probable opinion is, that it is the fame with what fome writers have called the the bee-bread; and that it is a mixture of water with the juices of plants and flowers collected merely for the nutrition of the young, whilft they are in their weak and helplefs ftate. Whatever be the nature of this aliment, it is certain that the common working bees are very induftrious in fupplying the worms with a fufficient quantity of it. worm is fed by the working bees for about eight days, till one end touches the other in the form of a ring; and when it begins to feel itself uneafy in its firft pofture, it ceases to eat, and begins to unrol itfelf, thrufting that end forward towards the mouth of the cell which is to be the head. The attendant bees, obferving thefe fymptoms of approaching transformation, defift from their labours in carrying proper food, and employ themfelves in faftening up the top of the cell with a lid of wax, formed in concentric circles, and by their natural heat in cherishing the brood and haftening the birth. In this concealed itate the worm extends itfelf at full length, and prepares a web of a fort of filk, in the manner of the filk-worm. This web forms a complete lining for the cell, and affords a convenient receptacle for the transformation of the worm into a nymph or chryfalis. Some naturalifts fuppofe, that as each cell is deftined to the fucceffive breeding of feveral worms, the whole web, which is compofed of many crufts or doubles, is in reality a collection of as many webs as there have been worms. M. Maraldi appre hends, that this lining is formed of the fkin of the worm thrown off at its entrance into the nymph ftate:

The

but it is urged, that if the cells are opened when newly covered by the bees, the worm within will be found in its own form, and detected in the art of fpinning its web; and by means of glaffes it will be found compofed of fine threads regularly woven together, like thofe of other spinning animals. In the fpace of 18 or 20 days the whole procefs of transformation is finifhed, and the bee endeavours to discharge itself from confinement by forcing an aperture with its teeth through the covering of the cell. The paffage is gra dually dilated; fo that one horn first appears, then the head, and afterwards the whole body. This is ufually the work of three hours, and fometimes of half a day. The bee, after it has difengaged itself, ftands on the furface of the comb, till it has acquired its natural complexion, and full maturity and ftrength, fo as to become fit for labour. The reft of the bees gather round it in this ftate, congratulate its birth, and offer it honey out of their own mouths. The exuvia and scattered pieces of wax which are left in the cell are removed by the working bees; and the matrix is no fooner cleanfed and fit for new fecundation, but the queen depofites another egg in it; infomuch that, Mr Maraldi fays, he has feen five bees produced in the fame cell in the space of three months. The young bees are eas fily diftinguished from the others by their colour: they are grey, instead of the yellowish brown of the common bees. The reafon of this is, that their body is black, and the hairs that grow upon it are white, from the mixture of which feen together refults a grey; but this colour forms itself into a brownish yellow by degrees, the rings of the body becoming more brown and the hairs more yellow.

The eggs from which drones are to proceed, are, as already obferved, laid in larger cells than thofe of the working bees. The coverings of these cells, when the drones are in the nymph ftate, are convex or fwelling outward, whilft the cells of the working bees are flat. This, with the privilege of leading idle effeminate lives, and not working for the public flock, is what diftinguishes the drones.

The bees depart from their ufual ftyle of building when they are to raise cells for bringing up fuch maggots as are deftined to become queens. Thefe are of a longish oblong form, having one end bigger than the other, with their exterior furface full of little cavities. Wax, which is employed with fo geometrical a thriftiness in the raifing of hexagonal cells, is expended with profufion in the cell which is to be the cradle of a royal maggot. They fometimes fix it in the middle, and at other times on one fide of a comb. Several common cells are facrificed to ferve as a bafis and support to it. It is placed almoft perpendicular to the common cells, the largest end being uppermoft. The lower end is open till the feafon for cloling it comes, or till the maggot is ready for transformation. It would be difficult to conceive how a tender maggot can remain in a cell turned bottom upmoft, if we did not find it buried in a fubftance scarcely fluid, and if it was not in itself, at firft, fmall and light enough to be fufpended in this clammy pafte. As it grows it fills all the upper and larger part of the cell. As foon as the young queen comes out of her cell, that cell is deftroyed, and its place is fupplied by common cells; but as the foundation of the royal cell is left, this part of the comb is

found

Bee. found thicker than any other. There are feveral fuch cells prepared for if there was only one reared in each hive, the swarms might often want a conductress. Many accidents may alfo deftroy the little maggot before it becomes a bee. It is therefore neceffary that a number of fuch cells fhould be provided; and accordingly there are obferved feveral young queens in the beginning of the fummer, more than one of which often takes flight when a fwarm departs.

16

Of their

A young queen is in a condition to lead a fwarm from a hive in which she was born in four or five days after she has appeared in it with wings. The bees of a fwarm are in a great hurry when they know that their queen is ready to lay. In this cafe, they give to their new cells but part of the depth they are to have, and defer the finishing of them till they have traced the number of cells requifite for the prefent time. The cells firit made are intended only for working bees; thefe being the moft neceffary.

When the hive is become too much crowded by the fwarming. addition of the young brood, a part of the bees think of finding themselves a more commodious habitation, and with that view fingle out the moft forward of the young queens. A new fwarm is therefore conftantly compofed of one queen at least, and of feveral thou fand working bees, as well as of fome hundreds of drones. The working bees are fome old, fome young.

Scarce has the colony arrived at its new habitation, when the working bees labour with the utmoft diligence to procure materials for food and building. Their principal aim is not only to have cells in which they may depofite their honey: a stronger motive feems to animate them. They feem to know that their queen is in hafte to lay her eggs. Their induftry is fuch, that in twenty-four hours they will have made combs twenty inches long, and wide in proportion. They make more wax during the first fortnight, if the feafon is favourable, than they do during all the reft of the year. Other bees are at the fame time bufy in ftopping all the holes and crevices they find in their new hive, in order to guard against the entrance of infects which covet their honey, their wax, or themfelves; and alfo to exclude the cold air, for it is indifpenfably neceffary that they be lodged warm.

When the bees firft fettle in fwarming, indeed when they at any time reft themfelves, there is fomething very particular in their method of taking their repofe. It is done by collecting themselves in a heap, and hanging to each other by their feet. They fometimes extend thefe heaps to a confiderable length. It would feem probable to us, that the bees from which the others hang muft have a confiderable weight fufpended to them. All that can be faid is, that the bees must find this to be a situation agreeable to themselves. They may perhaps have a method of diftending themselves with air, thereby to leffen their specific gravity; in the fame manner as fifhes do, in order to alter their gravity compared with water.

When a fwarm divides into two or more bands, which fettle separately, this divifion is a fure fign that there are two or more queens among them. One of thefe clusters is generally larger than the other. The bees of the smaller cluster, or clusters, detach them felves by little and little, till at laft the whole, together with the queen or queens, unite with the larger clufter..

As foon as the bees are fettled, the fupernumerary queen, or queens, must be facrificed to the peace and tranquillity of the hive. This execution generally raises a confiderable commotion in the hive; and feveral other bees, as well as the queen or queens, lofe their lives. Their bodies may be obferved on the ground, near the hive. The queen that is chofen is of a more reddifh colour than those which are destroyed: fo that fruitfulness feems to be a great motive of preference in bees; for the nearer they are to the time of laying their eggs, the bigger, larger, and more fhining are their bodies. The method of hiving these fwarms will be explained hereafter.

Bec

Other in

Befides the capital inftincts above mentioned, bees 17 are poffeffed of others, fome of which are equally ne-ftincts. ceflary for their prefervation and happiness.-They anxiously provide against the entrance of infects into the hive, by gluing up with wax the fmalleft holes in the fkep. Some ftand as centinels at the mouth of the hive, to prevent infects of any kind from getting in. But if a fnail, or other large infect fhould get in, notwithstanding all refiflance, they fting it to death; and then cover it over with a coat of propolis, to prevent the bad fmell or maggots which might proceed from the putrefaction of fuch a large animal.-Bees feem to be warned of the appearance of bad weather by fome particular feeling. It fometimes happens,. even when they are very affiduous and bufy, that they on a fudden ceafe from their work; not a fingle one flirs out; and those that are abroad hurry home in fuch prodigious crowds, that the doors of their habitationsare too finall to admit them. On this occafion, look up to the fky, and you will foon difcover fome of those black clouds which denote impending rain. Whether they fee the clouds gathering for it, as fome imagine, or whether (as is much more probable) they feel fome other effects of it upon their bodies, is not yet determined; but it is alleged, that no bee is ever caught even in what we call a fudden fhower, unless it have been at a very great diftance from the hive, or have been before injured by fome accident, or be fickly and unable to fly fo faft as the reft.-Cold is a great enemy to them. To defend themselves against its effects during a hard winter, they crowd together in the middle of the hive, and buzz about, and thereby excite a warmth which is often perceptible by laying the hand upon the glafs-windows of the hive.-They feem to underftand one another by the motions of their wings:. When the queen wants to quit the hive, the gives a little buzz; and all the others immediately follow her example, and retire along with her.

18

As to the age of bees, the large drones live but a Age of bees little while, being deftroyed without mercy by the working bees, probably to fave honey, as already noticed. But of the other fort lately difcovered, no larger than the working bees, and not eafily to be diftinguifhed from them, the age has not yet been afcertained. Writers are not agreed as to the age of the working bees. Some maintain that they are annual, and others. fuppofe that they live many years. Many of them, it is well known, die annually of hard labour; and though they may be preferved by fucceffion in hives or colonies for feveral years, the most accurate observers are of opinion that their age is but a year, or at the longefti no more than two fummers..

Con

Bee.

}

ceffity of repeating his experiments, in deftroying the males, and even thofe which might be fufpected to be fuch.

He once more immerfed the fame bees in water; and when they appeared in a senseless ftate, he gently preffed every one, in order to distinguish thofe armed with ftings from thofe which had none, and which of courfe he fuppofed to be males: of thefe laft he found fifty feven, and replaced the fwarm in a glafs hive, where they immediately applied again to the work of making cells; and on the fourth or fifth day, very early in the morning, he had the pleasure to see the queen-bee depofite her eggs in thofe cells: he continued watching moft part of the enfuing days, but could difcover nothing of what he had feen before.

The eggs after the fourth day, inftead of changing in the manner of caterpillars, were found in the fame ftate they were the first day, except that fome were covered with honey. A fingular event happened the next day about noon: all the bees left their own hive, and attempted to get into a neighbouring hive, probably in fearch of males; but the queen was found dead, having been killed in the engagement.

To be further fatisfied, Mr Debraw took the broodcomb, which had not been impregnated, and divided it into two parts: one he placed under a glafs bell, N° 1. with honey-comb for the bees food, taking care to leave a queen, but no drones, among the bees confined in it: the other piece of brood comb he placed under another glass bell, N° 2. with a few drones, a queen, and a proportionable number of common bees. The refult was, that in the glafs N° 1. there was no impregnation, the eggs remained in the fame ftate they were in when put into the glafs; and on giving the bees their liberty on the feventh day, they all flew away, as was found to be the cafe in the former experiment: whereas in the glafs N° 2. the very day after the bees had been put into it, the eggs were impregnated by the drones, the bees did not leave their hives on receiving their liberty, the eggs at the ufual time underwent the neceffary transformations, and a numerous young colony was produced.

Naturalifts have obferved, that the queen bees are produced in a manner peculiar to themfelves, and different from the drones and working bees. Some have fuppofed, that the eggs laid by the queen in a hive, and deftined for the production of queen bees, are of a peculiar kind: but though this is not the cafe, as M. Schirach has lately discovered, yet there are particular cells appropriated for this purpose. Thefe cells are generally near the edges, and at the bottom of the combs, and fometimes on the fides of a honey-comb: they are of an oblong orbicular form, and very ftrong; and are more or lefs numerous in different hives as occafion feems to require. It has been alfo fuppofed, that the matter with which they are nourished is of a different kind and quality from that employed for the nourishment of the other bees; that which has been collected out of the royal cells being of a gummy glutinous nature, of a deep transparent red, and diffolving in the fire rather than crumbling to powder.

It has been generally fuppofed, that the queen-bee is the only female contained in the hive; and that the Hift. working bees are neutral, or of neither fex. But M. Schirach has lately established a different docVOL. III. Part I.

Nat. de la

Reine des Abeilles, &c.

*

Bee.

+ Phil. Tranf. vol.

rach's dif

trine, which has been alfo confirmed by the later obfervations of Mr Debrawt. According to Mr Schirach, all the working or common bees are females in difguife; and the queen-bee lays only two kinds of 67. parti. eggs, viz. thofe which are to produce the drones, and 21 those from which the working bees are to proceed: Mr Schiand from any one or more of thefe, one or more queens coveries. may be produced; fo that every worm of the latter or common kind, which has been hatched about three days, is capable, under certain circumftances, of becoming the queen, or mother of a hive. In proof of this doctrine, new and fingular as it may feem, he alleges a number of fatisfactory and decifive experiments, which have been fince verified by those of Mr Debraw. In the early months of the fpring, and in any preceding month, even fo late as November, he cut off from an old hive, a piece of that part of the comb which contains the eggs of the working bees; taking care, however, that it contained likewife worms which had been hatched about three days. He fixed this in an empty hive, or box, together with a portion of honey-comb, &c. or, in other words, with a fufficiency of food and building materials, or wax, for the ufe of the intended colony. He then put into, and confined within, the fame box, a fufficient number of common working bees, taken from the fame or any other hive. As foon as the members of this fmall community found themfelves deprived of their liberty, and without a queen, a dreadful uproar enfued, which continued generally, with fome fhort intervals of filence, for the fpace of about twenty-four hours; during which time it is to be fuppofed they were alternately meditating and holding council on the future fupport of the new republic. On the final ceflation of this tumult, the general and almoft conflant refult was, that they betook themselves to work; firft proceeding to the conftruction of a royal cell, and then taking the proper measures for hatching and feeding the brood inclosed with them. Sometimes even on the second day the foundations of one or more royal cells were to be perceived; the view of which furnished certain indications that they had elected one of the inclofed worms to the fovereignty.

The operation has been hitherto conducted in the houfe. This new colony may now be fafely trusted in the garden, if the weather be warm, and have the liberty allowed them of paffing out of the box; of which they inftantly avail themselves, and are seen in a fhort time almoft totally to defert their new habitation. In about two hours, however, they begin to re-enter it. We fhould not neglect to obferve, that if they should be placed near the old hive, from which they were taken, they will very often attempt to enter it, but are as conftantly repulfed by their former companions and brethren. It is prudent, therefore, to place them at a diftance from the mother state, in order to avoid the inconveniences of a civil war. The final refult of the experiment is, that the colony of working bees thus fhut up, with a morfel of common brood, not only hatch it, but are found, at the end of eighteen or twenty days, to have produced from thence one or two queens; which have apparently proceeded from worms of the common fort, pitched upon by them for that purpofe; and which, under other circumftances, that is, if they had remained in the old hive, there is reafon to fuppofe would have been changed into comR

mon

mon working bees. In the prefent inftance, the common worm appears to be converted by them into a queen bee, merely because the hive was in want of one. Hence we may juftly infer, that the kingdom of the bees is not, if the expreffion may be used, a jure divino or hereditary monarchy, but an elective kingdom; in which the choice of their future ruler is made by the body of the people, while fhe is yet in the cradle, or in embryo; and who are determined by motives of preference which will perhaps for ever elude the penetration of the moft fagacious naturalists.

The conclufions drawn by M. Schirach, from experiments of the preceding kind, often repeated by himfelf and others with the fame fuccefs, are, that all the common or working bees were originally of the female fex; but that when they have undergone their laft metamorphofis, they are condemned to a state of perpetual virginity, and the organs of generation are obliterated; merely because they have not been lodged, fed, and brought up in a particular manner, while they were in the worm state. He fuppofes that the worm, defigned by the community to be a queen, or mother, owes its metamorphofis into a queen, partly to the extraordinary fize of its cell, and its peculiar pofition in it; but principally to a certain appropriate nourish ment found there, and carefully administered to it by the working bees while it was in the worm ftate; by which, and poffibly other means unknown, the developement and extenfion of the germ of the female organs, previously exifting in the embryo, is effected; and thofe differences in its form and fize are produced, which afterwards fo remarkably diftinguish it from the common working bees.

This discovery is capable of being applied towards forming artificial fwarms, or new colonies of bees, by which means their number might be increased, and their produce in honey and wax proportionably augmented.

bee.

Explanation of Plate XCVI. Fig. 1. is the queen 2. Is the drone. 3. Is the working bee. 4. Reprefents the bees hanging to each other by the feet, which is the method of taking their repofe. 5. The probofcis or trunk, which is one of the principal or gans of the bees, wherewith they gather the honey and take their nourishment. 6. One of the hind-legs of a working-bee, loaded with wax. 7. A comb, in which the working bees are bred. The cells are the fmalleft of any. Two of them have the young bees inclofed. A royal cell is fufpended on one fide. 8. A comb in which the drones are bred, being larger than the former; the young drones being included in feveral of them; with two royal cells fufpended on the fide. 9. A fimilar comb, in which the royal cell is fixed in the middle of the comb; and several common cells are facrificed to ferve as a basis and support to it. In general, the royal cells are fufpended on the fide of a comb, as in fig. 7, 8. To the fide of fig. 9. two royal cells are begun, when they refemble pretty much the cup in which an acorn lies. The other royal cells have the young queens included in them. Fig. 10. exhibits the fting and all its parts. The fting is compofed of a fheath or cafe, and two fhanks, united to each other, and terminating in a fharp point, so as to look like a fingle part. b, The poisonous bag.

c, The tube that ferves to convey the poifon from its Bee. bag to the thickest part of the fting's fheath. dd, The two fhanks of the fting, mutually conveying to each other. ee, The fheath of the fting. ff, The thickest end of the fheath, where the tube opens into it, by which it receives the infect's poifon. g, The extreme point of the fting, formed by the two fhanks of that organ, that are in this place clofely united. hh, The beards with which the fhanks of the fting are armed at their extremities. i, The tube that ferves to fecrete the poifon, which it discharges into the poifon-bag. kk, The two blind extremities of the faid tube. 111, Two pair of cartilages, of different forms, which are for the moft part of a deep black, and articulated among themfelves and with the fhanks of the fting. mm, Two other cartilages lefs confpicuous than the former, with one pair of which they are articulated. Thefe two cartilages mm, are almoft entirely of a membranaceous fubftance. nnnnnnnn, Eight places in which the foregoing cartilages are articulated among themfelves, and with the fhanks of the fting dd. 0000, Four mufcles ferving to move the fting different ways, by the affiftance of the fame cartilages. pp, Two muscles which draw the fhanks of the fting into its fheath. qq, Two appendages of the fting which are moved along with it, and seem to answer no other purpole but that of ornament.-Fig. 11. The ovary.Fig. 12. Six eggs drawn after nature, and placed on their ends: Thefe eggs are oblong, very flender, but fomewhat thicker on their upper parts.-Fig. 13. An egg viewed with a microfcope: it refembles the skin of a fifh, divefted of its fcale, but ftill retaining the marks of their infertion.-Fig. 14. Worms of bees of different fizes, drawn after nature. a, A worm newly hatched. bede, Four worms that received more nourishment, and are more grown. fg, Two worms ftill bigger than the former, having had more time to make ufe of the nourishment provided for them. They are here reprefented as they lie doubled in their cells. h, A worm placed on its belly, fo as to fhow on its back a black line, inclining to a light blue or grey. This line denotes the ftomach, which appears in this place through the transparent parts that lie over it. i, A worm lying on its back, and beginning to draw in the hinder part of its body, and move its head.-Fig. 15. A full-grown worm viewed with a microfcope. aa, Its 14 annular incifions or divifions. h, The head and eyes, &c. ccc, Ten breathingholes.-Fig. 16. The worm forming its web. aa, The fides of the cell that contain it. b, The bottom of the cell, c, The entrance or door of the cell. The worm is here represented as making its web in the propereft manner to shut up this entrance.-Fig. 7. Worm taken out of the web in which it had inclofed itself, and juft ready to caft its skin.-Fig. 18. A cell containing the worm changed into a nymph, and perfectly lined with the faid worm's web. Likewise the faid web entire, with the nymph contained in it, as they appear on opening the cell. a a, The fides of the cell, lined with the worm's web. b, The mouth of the cell, perfectly clofed by the web. c, The bottom of the cell. d, The web entire, as it appears on opening the cell, which it greatly resembles in form. e, The upper part of the web, of a convex form. This

part