bees will attain no
greater size than is peculiar to their species. But if, in their primary
form, they live in cells smaller than they should be, as their growth
will be checked, they will not attain the usual size, of which there is
proof in the following experiment. I had a comb consisting of the cell
of large drones, and one with those of workers, which also served for
the male worms. Of these, my assistant took a certain number from the
smallest cells, and deposited them on a quantity of food purposely
prepared in the large ones; and in return he introduced into the small
cells the worms that had been hatched in the other, and then committed
both to the care of the workers in a hive where the queen laid the eggs
of males only. The bees were not affected by this change; they took
equal care of the worms; and when the period of metamorphosis arrived,
gave both kinds that convex covering usually put on those of the males.
Eight days afterwards, we removed the combs, and found, as I had
expected, nymphs of large males in the large cells, and those of small
males in the small ones.

You suggested another experiment which I carefully made, but it met with
an unforeseen obstacle. To appreciate the influence of the royal food on
the expansion of the worms, you desired me to supply the worm of a
worker in a common cell with it. Twice I have attempted this operation
without success. Nor do I think it can ever succeed. If bees get the
charge of worms, in whose cells the royal food is deposited, and if at
the same time they have a queen, they soon remove the worms and greedily
devour the food. When, on the contrary, they are deprived of a queen,
they change the cells containing worms into cells of the largest kind.
Then the worms will infallibly be converted to queens.

But there is another situation where we can judge of the influence of
the royal food administered to worms in common cells. I have spoken at
great length in my letter on the existence of fertile workers. You
cannot forget, Sir, that the expansion of their sexual organs is owing
to the reception of some particles of royal jelly, while in the
vermicular form. For want of new observations, I must refer you to what
is previously said on the subject.

_PREGNY, 4 September 1791._

LETTER IX.

_ON THE FORMATION OF SWARMS._

I can add but a few facts to the information M. de Reaumur has
communicated relative to swarms.

A young queen, according to t