d in that time. Probably a few escaped notice,
as the color is the same as wax scales; also, they might already have
had combs containing some. I have several times found a few the next
morning, under swarms hived the day previous, but never over thirty,
except in this one instance. The reason of this queen not being able to
fly well might have been an unusual burden of eggs. Perhaps it would be
as well to mention here, that in all cases where eggs are found in this
way, that they must be first swarms which are accompanied by the old
queens.

Schirach estimates "the eggs a single female will lay, from 70,000 to
100,000 in a season." Reaumer and Huber do not estimate so high.
Another writer estimates 90,000, in three months. Let the number be as
it may, probably thousands are never perfected. During the spring
months, in medium and small families, where the bees can protect with
animal heat but a few combs, I have often found cells containing a
plurality of eggs, two, three, and occasionally four, in a single cell.
These supernumeraries must be removed, and frequently may be found
amongst the dust on the bottom-board.

A TEST FOR THE PRESENCE OF A QUEEN.

If you have a hive that you suspect has lost a queen at this season,
her presence can be ascertained nine times in ten by this method. Sweep
off the board clean, and look the next day or two after for these eggs.
Take care that ants, or mice, have no chance to get them; they might
deceive you, being as fond of eggs for breakfast as anyone.[7] When one
or more is found, or any immature bees, it is sufficient, no further
proof of the presence of a queen is needed.

[7] It is said that the bees will devour these eggs also.

Another portion of eggs is wasted whenever a supply of their food
fails; if we remove the bees from a stock during a scarcity, when the
hive is light, we will be very likely to find hundreds of eggs in the
cells, and but very few advancing from that stage towards maturity. I
have thus found it in the fall, in July, and sometimes the first of
June, or at any time when maturing the brood would be likely to exhaust
their stores, to endanger the family's supply. Now, instead of the
fertility of the queen being greater in spring and first of summer than
at other times, (as we are often told), I would suggest the probability
that a greater abundance of food at this season, and a greater number
of empty cells, may be the reason of the greater numb