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

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RECEPTION OP
her liberty only when she prepares to com¬
bat the reigning* queen. This observation
cannot be made except in the thinnest hives.
Those used by M. de Reaumur always had
two parallel combs at least, which must have
prevented him from remarking some very
important circumstances that influence the
conduct of workers when supplied with se¬
veral females. The first circles formed
around a stranger queen he has taken for
caresses; and, from the little that his queen
could advance in view between the combs,
it must have been impossible for him to ob¬
serve that the circles, which were always
gradually contracting, ended in restraint of
the females there inclosed. Had he used
thinner hives, he would have discovered that
what he supposed an indication of favourable
reception was the prelude of actual impri¬
sonment.
I am reluctant to assert that M. de Reau¬
mur was deceived. Yet I cannot admit
that, on certain occasions, bees tolerate a
plurality of females in their hives. Neither
will the experiment on which this affirma¬
tion rests be considered decisive. In the
month of December, he introduced a'stran¬
ger queen into a glass hive in his cabinet, and