his celebrated naturalist, is always or
almost always at the head of a swarm; but he does not assert the fact
positively, and had some doubts on the subject. "Is it certain," says
he "as we have hitherto supposed, in coincidence with all who have
treated of bees, that the new colony is always conducted by a young
mother? May not the old mother be disgusted with her habitation? or may
she not be influenced by some particular circumstances to abandon all
her possessions to the young female? I wish it had been in my power to
solve this question otherwise than by mere probabilities, and that some
misfortune had not befallen all the bees whose queen I had marked red on
the thorax."

These expressions seem to indicate, that M. de Reaumur suspected that
the old queens sometimes conducted the young swarms. By the following
details, you will observe, that his suspicions are fully justified.

In the course of spring and summer, the same hive may throw several
swarms. The old queen is always at the head of the first colony; the
others are conducted by young queens. Such is the fact which I shall now
prove; and the peculiarities attending it shall be related.

But previous to entering on this subject, I should repeat what has
already been frequently observed, that the _leaf_ or flat hives are
indispensible in studying the industry and instinct of bees. When they
are left at liberty to conduct several rows of parallel combs, we can no
longer observe what is continually passing between them, or they must be
dislodged by water or smoke, for examining what has been constructed; a
violent proceeding, which has a material influence on their instinct,
and consequently exposes an observer to the risk of supposing simple
accidents permanent laws.

I now proceed to experiments proving that an old queen always conducts
the first swarm.

One of my glass hives consisted of three parallel combs, placed in
squares that opened like the leaves of a book. It was well peopled and
abundantly provided with honey, wax, and brood, of every age. On the
fifth of May 1788, I removed the queen, and on the sixth, transferred
all the bees into another hive, with a fertile queen at least a year
old. They entered easily and without fighting, and were in general well
received. The old inhabitants of the hive, which, since privation of
their queen, had begun twelve royal cells, also gave the fertile queen a
good reception; they presented her with honey, and f