ely a minute she
lost her liberty and became a prisoner. It is a remarkable circumstance,
that other workers at the same time collected round the reigning queen
and restrained all her motions; we instantly saw her confined like the
stranger. Perhaps it may be said, the bees anticipated the combat in
which these queens were about to engage, and were impatient to behold
the issue of it, for they retained their prisoners only when they
appeared to withdraw from each other; and if one less restrained seemed
desirous of approaching her rival, all the bees forming the clusters
gave way to allow her full liberty for the attack; then if the queens
testified a disposition to fly, they returned to enclose them.

We have repeatedly witnessed this fact, but it presents so new and
singular a characteristic in the policy of bees, that it must be seen
again a thousand times before any positive assertion can be made on the
subject. I would therefore recommend that naturalists should attentively
examine the combat of queens, and particularly ascertain what part is
taken by the workers. Is their object to accelerate the combat? Do they
by any secret means excite the fury of the combatants? Whence does it
happen that accustomed to bestow every care on their queen, in certain
circumstances, they oppose her preparations to avoid impending danger?

A long series of observations are necessary to solve these problems. It
is an immense field for experiment, which will afford infinitely curious
results. I intreat you to pardon my frequent digressions. The subject is
deeply philosophical, genius such as your's is required to treat it
properly; and I shall now be satisfied with proceeding in the
description of the combat.

The cluster of bees that surrounded the reigning queen having allowed
her some freedom, she seemed to advance towards that part of the comb
where her rival stood; then, all the bees receded before her, the
multitude of workers, separating the two adversaries, gradually
dispersed, until only two remained; these also removed, and allowed the
queens to come in sight. At this moment, the reigning queen rushed on
the stranger, with her teeth seized her near the origin of the wing, and
succeeded in fixing her against the comb without any possibility of
motion or resistance. Next curving her body, she pierced this unhappy
victim of our curiosity with a mortal wound.

In the last place, to exhaust every combination, we had still to e