ly, and appeared as if exhausted
by her first exertions. As we now required queens for some particular
experiments, we resolved to remove the other royal cells, yet in safety,
to secure them from her fury.

After this observation, we wished to see what ensued on two queens
leaving their cells at the same time, and in what manner one perished. I
find an observation on this head in my Journal, 15. May 1790.

In one of our thinnest hives, two queens left their cells almost at the
same moment. Whenever they observed each other, they rushed together,
apparently with great fury, and were in such a position that the antennae
of each was seized by the teeth of the other: the head, breast, and
belly of the one were exposed to the head, breast, and belly of the
other: the extremity of their bodies were curved; they were reciprocally
pierced with the stings; and both fell dead at the same instant. But it
seems as if nature has not ordained that both combatants should perish
in the duel; but rather that, when finding themselves in the situation
described, namely, opposite, and belly to belly, they fly at that moment
with the utmost precipitation. Thus, when these two rivals felt the
extremities about to meet, they disengaged themselves, and each fled
away. You will observe, Sir, that I have repeated this observation very
often, so that it leaves no room for doubt: and I think that we may here
penetrate the intention of nature.

There ought to be none but one queen in a hive: therefore it is
necessary, if by chance a second is either produced or comes into the
hive, that one of the two must be destroyed. This cannot be committed to
the working bees, because, in a republic composed of so many
individuals, an equal consent cannot be supposed always to exist; it
might frequently happen that one group of bees destroyed one of the
queens, while a second would massacre the other; and the hive thus be
deprived of queens. Therefore it was necessary that the queens
themselves should be entrusted with the destruction of their rivals: but
as, in these combats, nature demands but a single victim, she has wisely
arranged that, at the moment when, from their position, the two
combatants might lose their lives, both feel so great an alarm, that
they think only of flight, and not of using their stings.

I am well aware of the hazard of error in minute researches into the
causes of the most trifling facts. But here the object and the means
seem