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

192 FORMATION OF SWARMS.
are no swarms. All the females leave their
cells almost at the same moment, and, after4 ;
a sanguinary combat, the throne remains-
with the most fortunate.
I can comprehend very well that the ob¬
ject of nature is to replace the lost queen ;f
but as bees are at liberty to choose either
the eggs or worms of workers, during the j
first three days of existence, to supply her
place, why do they give the royal treatment !
to worms, all of nearly an equal age, and j
which must undergo their last metamor-
phosis almost at the same period ? Since
they are enabled to retain the young females
in their cells, why do they allow all the
queens, reared according to Schirach’s me- -
thod, to escape at once? By prolonging j
their captivity more or less, they would ful¬
fil two most important objects at the same
time, in repairing the loss of their females, |
and in preserving a succession of queens to |
conduct several swarms.
At first it was my opinion that this dif- |
ference of conduct proceeded from the dif- |
ference of circumstances in which they find |
themselves situated. They are induced to |
make all their dispositions relative to swarm- |
ing only when in great numbers, and when '