Hide Article Text (OCR)
THE QUEEN BEE.Oil Saturday last (23d ult.) the Edinburgli Wernerian Society met for llm fu st time this season, a:id we were happy to see a numerous meeting. The first paper tliat was sub-miltcil to tlicir notice was “on tlie conversion of the Ian a of a working bee into a queeu bee/' by the Kcv,— Dunbar, of Applegartli. Mr. Dunbar states that lie noticed the operations of a hive on the loss of a queen: for the first day all was noise and confusion, when the loss was discovered, Alter this had a little subsided, in consequence of the loss being ascertained, the bees, to avoid a stale of anarchy, laid the foundation of royal cells, and of four more the next day, and placed the larva; oi (what is supposed to be) the working bee in them. At the end offuurte.cn days, a new queen i .aued forth Ironi one of the cells; and with an instinct equaling Turkish wisdom and policy, proceeded to tear open the other royal cells, no doubt \v«tli the determination of destroying what was likely to produce a rival to her power. The work.ug bees rebelled a-gainsi this uucoiisti'utional exercise ol authority, and hauled her majesty away from her job. They succeeded ! in protecting the junior branches ol the royal family, and were rewarded j lor their loyalty by the birth ol a ! princess. But it was ol no avail j for the Czarina, who had as it should seem, a preferable claim, in virtue of the priority ol her birth, killed her fair and unfortunate rival. Mr. Dunbar, in corroboration of the a hove fact of the formation of an artificial queen, narrates an instance ol its having been done bv an artificial swarm also. A number ut bees ^nul an uncommon circumstance) depended in a large cluster, from the duor of the hive: he suddenly removed the liive from their sight, ami placed another ill its room containing empty cells, having previously taken the precaution of putting into it about 3 inches square of pure liouev comb, containing larva; and honey; and the astonishment of the bees was ve* ry great when they entered the new hive, and missed their rich stores anil llicir beloved monarch, the fair and stately queen: they bustled a-bout in every direction j but the next day, finding that the royal family had removed, and had taken away the treasury, they began to lay the foundation of royal cells, ami in course of time made to themselves a new queen. Mr. Dunbar has repeated this latter experiment with great success.
Newspaper Details
Alexandria Gazette and Advertiser
Alexandria, Virginia, US
Thu, Feb 19, 1824
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 19 Feb 2024
Other Publications Near Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria Daily Gazette Commercial And Political
Alexandria Gazette Commercial and Political
Alexandria Gazette
Alexandria Virginia State Journal
Alexandria Soldiers Journal
