h believed that queens were impregnated of
themselves, consequently he thought that after being artificially
produced, they would lay and give birth to a numerous posterity. Now,
this is an error; the females, to become fertile, require the concourse
of the males, and if not impregnated within a few days of their origin,
their laying, as I have observed, is completely deranged. Thus, if a
swarm were artificially formed before the usual time of the males
originating, the bees would be discouraged by the sterility of the young
female. Or should they remain faithful to her, awaiting the period of
fecundation, as she could not for three or four weeks receive the
approaches of the male, she would lay eggs producing males only, and the
hive in this case would perish. Thus the natural order must not be
deranged, but we must delay the division of hives until males are about
to originate or actually exist.

Besides, if M. Schirach did succeed in obtaining artificial swarms,
notwithstanding the great inconvenience of his hives, it was owing to
his singular address and unremitting assiduity. He had some pupils in
the art; these communicated the method of forming artificial swarms to
others, and there are people now in Saxony who traverse the country
practising this operation. Those versant in the matter can alone venture
to undertake it with common hives, whereas, every cultivator can do it
himself with the leaf hives.

In this construction, another very great advantage will also be found.
Bees can be forced to work in wax. Here I am led to what I believe is a
new observation. While naturalists have directed our admiration to the
parallel position of the combs, they have overlooked another trait in
the industry of bees, namely, the equal distance uniformly between them.
On measuring the interval separating the combs, it will generally be
found four lines. Were they too distant, it is very evident the bees
would be much dispersed and unable to communicate their heat
reciprocally; whence the brood would not be exposed to sufficient
warmth. Were the combs too close, on the contrary, the bees could not
freely traverse the intervals, and the work of the hive would suffer.
Therefore, a certain distance always uniform is requisite, which
corresponds equally well with the service of the hive, and the care
necessary for the worms. Nature, which has taught bees so much, has
instructed them regularly to preserve this distance. At the approa