eir silk coccoons, but died before
passing into their nymphine state, and presented only a dry skin. I can
conceive nothing more conclusive than this experiment. It demonstrates
that bees have the power of converting the worms of workers into queens;
since they succeeded in procuring queens, by operating on the worms
which we ourselves had selected. It is equally demonstrated, that the
success of the operation does not depend on the worms being three days
old, as those entrusted to the bees were only two. Nor is this all; bees
can convert worms still younger into queens. The following experiment
showed, that when the queen is lost, they destine worms only a few
hours old to replace her.

I was in possession of a hive, which being long deprived of the female,
had neither egg nor worm. I provided a queen of the greatest fertility;
and she immediately began laying in the cells of workers. I removed this
female before being quite three days in the hive, and before any of her
eggs were hatched. The following morning, that is, the fourth day, we
counted fifty minute worms, the oldest scarcely hatched twenty-four
hours. However, several were already destined for queens, which was
proved by the bees depositing around them a much more abundant provision
of food than is supplied to common worms. Next day, the worms were near
forty hours old: the bees had enlarged and converted their hexagonal
cells into cylindrical ones of the greatest capacity. During the
subsequent days, they still laboured at them, and closed them on the
fifth from the origin of the worms. Seven days after sealing of the
first of these royal cells, a queen of the largest size proceeded from
it. She immediately rushed towards the other royal cells, and
endeavoured to destroy their nymphs and worms. In another letter, I
shall recount the effects of her fury.

From these details, you will observe, Sir, that M. Schirach's
experiments had not been sufficiently diversified when he affirmed that
it was essential for the conversion of common worms into queens, they
should be three days old. It is undoubted, that equal success attends
the experiment not only with worms two days old, but also when they have
been only a few hours in existence.

After my researches to corroborate M. Schirach's discovery, I was
desirous of learning whether, as this observer conceives, the only means
which the bees have of procuring a queen, is giving the common worms a
certain kind of a