orkers. I had reason to
believe it was actually by common bees, for we had frequently observed
them inserting the posterior part into the cells; and assuming the same
attitude as the queen when laying. But, not withstanding every exertion,
we had never been able to seize one in this situation, to examine it
more narrowly. And we were unwilling to assert any thing positively,
without having the bees in our hands that had actually laid. Therefore
our observations were continued with equal assiduity, in hopes that, by
some fortunate chance, or in a moment of address, we could secure one of
them. More than a month all our endeavours were abortive.

My assistant then offered to perform an operation that required both
courage and patience, and which I could not resolve to suggest, though
the same expedient had occurred to myself. He proposed to examine each
bee in the hive separately, to discover whether some small queen had not
insinuated herself among them, and escaped our first researches. This
was an important experiment; for, should no small queen be found, it
would be demonstrative evidence that the eggs had been laid by simple
workers.

To perform this operation with all possible exactness, immersing the
bees was not enough. You know, Sir, that the contact of water stiffens
their organs, that it produces a certain alteration of their external
figure: and, from the resemblance of small queens to workers, the
slightest alteration of shape would prevent us from distinguishing with
sufficient accuracy to what species those immersed might belong.
Therefore it was necessary to seize the whole bees of both hives,
notwithstanding their irritation, and examine their specific character
with the utmost care. This my assistant undertook, and executed with
great address. Eleven days were employed in it; and, during all that
time, he scarcely allowed himself any relaxation, but what the relief of
his eyes required. He took every bee in his hand; he attentively
examined the trunk, the hind limbs, and the sting: there was not one
without the characteristics of the common bee, that is, the little
basket on the hind legs, the long trunk, and the straight sting. He had
previously prepared glass cases containing combs. Into these, he put
each bee after examination. It is superfluous to observe they were
confined, which was a precaution indispensible until termination of the
experiment. Neither was it enough to establish that the whole we