ombs are securely fixed in the frames, otherwise, by
falling out, they may kill or hurt them, as also irritate them to that
degree that the observer cannot escape stinging, which is always
painful, and sometimes dangerous: but they soon become accustomed to
their situation, and in some measure tamed by it; and, in three days, we
may begin to operate on the hive, to open it, remove part of the combs,
and substitute others, without the bees exhibiting too formidable
symptoms of displeasure. You will remember, Sir, that on visiting my
retreat, I shewed you a hive of this kind that had been a long time in
experiment, and how much you were surprised that the bees so quietly
allowed us to open it.

In these hives, I have repeated all my observations, and obtained
exactly the same results as in the thinnest. Thus, I think, already to
have obviated any objections that may arise concerning the supposed
inconvenience of flat hives. Besides, I cannot regret the repetition of
my labours; by going over the same course several times, I am much more
certain of having avoided error; and it also appears, that some
advantages are found in these which may be called _Book_ or
_Leaf-hives_, as they prove extremely useful in the economical treatment
of bees, which shall afterwards be detailed.

I now come to the particular object of this letter, the fecundation of
the queen bee; and I shall, in a few words, examine the different
opinions of naturalists on this singular problem. Next I shall state the
most remarkable observations which their conjectures have induced me to
make, and then describe the new experiments by which I think I have
solved the problem{C}.

Swammerdam, who studied bees with unremitting attention, and who never
could see a real copulation between a drone and a queen, was satisfied
that copulation was unnecessary for fecundation of the eggs: but having
remarked that, at certain times, the drones exhaled a very strong odour,
he thought this odour was an emanation of the _aura seminalis_, or the
_aura seminalis_ itself, which operated fecundation by penetrating the
body of the female. His conjecture was confirmed on dissecting the male
organs of generation; for he was so much struck with the disproportion
between them and those of the female, that he did not believe copulation
possible. His opinion, concerning the influence of the odour, had this
farther advantage, that it afforded a good reason for the prodigious
number