Curiosities & wonders > New observations on the natural history of bees

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combats of queens.
coming in sight, they rushed together, seized
one another, and resumed exactly their for*
mer position. The result of this rencontre
was the same as before. When their bellies
approached, they hastily disengaged them¬
selves, and fled with precipitation. During
all this time, the workers seemed in great
agitation; and the tumult appeared to in¬
crease when the adversaries separated. Two
different times we observed them stop the
flight of the queens, seize their limbs, and
retain them prisoners above a minute. At
last, that queen, which was either the strong¬
est or the most enraged, darted on her rival
at a moment when unperceived, and with
her teeth caught the origin of the wing;
then rising above her, she brought the ex¬
tremity of her own body under the belly of
the other; and, by this means, easily pierced
her with the sting. Quitting hold of the
wing, her sting was withdrawn; the van¬
quished queen fell down, dragged herself
languidly along, and, her strength failing,
she soon expired.
This observation proved that virgin queens
engage in single combats: but we wished to
discover whether those that were fecundated,
and mothers, entertained the same animosity.