ts as
that of queen bees. Should the animal be larger, dissection will be more
easily accomplished; and we may discover what happens to the eggs when
retarded fecundation prevents their expansion. At least, we might hope
that some fortunate circumstance would lead to solution of the
problem{G}.

Let us now return to my experiments. In May 1789, I took two queens just
when they had undergone the last metamorphosis: one was put in a _leaf
hive_, well provided with honey and wax, and sufficiently inhabited by
workers and males. The other was put into a hive exactly similar, from
which all the drones were removed. The entrances of these hives were
too confined for the passage of the females and drones, but the common
bees enjoyed perfect liberty. The queens were imprisoned thirty days;
and being then set at liberty, they departed, and returned impregnated.
Visiting the hives in the beginning of July, I found much brood, but
wholly consisting of the worms and nymphs of males. There actually was
not a single worker's worm or nymph. Both queens laid uninterruptedly
until autumn, and constantly the eggs of drones. Their laying ended in
the first week of November, as that of my other queens.

I was very earnest to learn what would become of them in the subsequent
spring, whether they would resume laying, or if new fecundation would be
necessary; and if they did lay, of what species the eggs would be.
However, the hives being very weak, I dreaded they might perish during
winter. Fortunately, we were able to preserve them; and from April 1790,
they recommenced laying. The precautions we had taken prevented them
from receiving any new approaches of the male. Their eggs were still
those of males.

It would have been extremely interesting to have followed the history of
these two females still farther, but, to my great regret, the workers
abandoned their hives on the fourth of May, and that same day I found
both queens dead. No weevils were in the hive, which could disturb the
bees; and the honey was still very plentiful: but as no workers had been
been produced in the course of the preceding year, and winter had
destroyed many, they were too few in spring to engage in their wonted
labours, and, from discouragement, deserted their habitation to occupy
the neighbouring hives.

In my Journal, I find a detail of many experiments on the retarded
impregnation of queen bees, so many, that transcribing the whole would
be tedious. I may