per condition to receive it; as a cell part
filled with bee-bread or honey is never used. If the area of combs is
small, or the family is small, and cannot protect a large space with
the necessary heat, she will often deposit two, and sometimes three, in
one cell (the supernumeraries I suppose are removed by the workers).
But under prosperous circumstances, with a hive of suitable size, &c.,
this emergency is avoided.

OPERATION OF LAYING AND THE EGGS DESCRIBED.

When a cell is in a condition to receive the egg, on withdrawing her
head she immediately curves her abdomen, and inserts it a few seconds.
After leaving it, an egg may be seen attached by one end to the bottom;
about the sixteenth of an inch in length, slightly curved, very small,
nearly uniform the whole length, abruptly rounded at the ends,
semi-transparent, and covered with a very thin and extremely delicate
coat, often breaking with the slightest touch.

After the egg has been about three days in the cell, a small white worm
may be seen coiled in the bottom, surrounded with a milky-like
substance, which is its food, without doubt. How this food is prepared,
is merely guess-work. The hypothesis of its being chiefly composed of
pollen, I have no objection to; as it is sufficiently proved by the
quantities that accumulate in hives that lose their queen, and rear no
brood (that is, when a requisite number of workers are so left). The
workers may be seen entering the cell every few minutes, probably, to
supply this food.[6]

[6] When the comb in our glass hive is new, and white, these
operations can be seen more distinctly than when very old and
dark.

TIME FROM THE EGG TO THE PERFECT BEE.

In about six days it is sealed over with a convex waxen lid. It is now
hidden from our sight for about twelve days, when it bites off the
cover, and comes forth a perfect bee. The period from the egg to the
perfect bee varies from twenty to twenty-four days; average about
twenty-two for workers, twenty-four for drones. The temperature of the
hive will vary some with the atmosphere; it is also governed by the
number of bees. A low temperature probably retards the development,
while a high one facilitates it. You may have seen accounts of the
assiduous attentions given to the young bee when it first emerges from
the cell: 'tis said they "lick it all over, feed it with honey," &c.,
desperately pleased with their new acquisition.

ROUGH TREATMENT