The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-23 00:00:00

THE QUEEN OF 71IE BEES.

In every hive there are a queen, male bees or drones, and
workers, which are of no gender, or rather dre undeveloped
females. The queen is considerably larger than the drone,
and the drone is about as much larger than the working bee.
There is never more than one queen in a hive, and if a
stranger queen should happen by accident, or in the indul-
gence of their curiosity, to enter a hive in which her au-
thority is not recognised, the bees who acts as guards at the
entrance instantly seize her, and though their respect for
royalty is too groat to allow of theii ill-treating her, they
crowd upon her so closely that she cannot escape, and they
do not release her until their own queen arrives to do battle
in defence of her lawful rights.
The conduct of the commonalty under such circum-
stances is exceedingly remarkable ; they could put the
intruder to death if they chose, without suffering their own
queen to run the risk of being killed, but they do not do
so ; they act strictly on the principle of fair-play ; at
the same time they will not allow the combatants to
separate until the victory is achieved by one o
them. The instant their queen makes her appearance
attended by a number of her subjects, those who hold the
stranger in custody draw back, and leave a clear space for
the encounter. lf, as rarely happens, the two sovereigns
have no desire to fight, or if they try to run away, the
workers seize them, and will on no account allow them to
indulge their cowardice ; they are never allowed to quit
the arena, nor to cease fighting until one is killed.
Huber relates several experiments made by him with the
view of ascertaining if this conduct of the bees were inva-
riable, and he found that it was ; whether the combatants
were two queens, both engaged in laying eggs, or a fertile
queen and a virgin queen, or two virgin queens. A very
singular circumstance in connexion with these encounters is,
that both manifest the greatest horror of using their stings
whenever in the course of the fight they findthemselves in a
position to kill each other. In such cases they ooparate, and
show now desire to renew the fight ; but the spectators lay
hold of them, and draw them back into the cleared space, and
compel them to face each other again. It is not often, how-
ever, that the queen of the hive requires any compulsion to
fight. Her jealousy of a rival is of the most intense character;
and if two emerge from their cells at the same moment, their
first act is to rush at each other and settle by a single
combat which is to rule ; they will no more consent to a
divided jurisdiction than the workers themselves would
permit it. In this respect the example of the competi-
tors for the throne might be imitated with advantage
to humanity by human competitors ; they do not suffer
or invite their future subjects to engage in a civil war
in support of their respective claims, but decide the ques-
tion by the simple process of fighting it out in their own
persons. . . .

There are occasions, however, when the jealousy of the
queen has to be restrained in the interest of the commu-
nity ; this is especially the case when a portion of the hive
is about to quit it for a separate habitation in consequence
of the increase of their numbers. The emigrants on these
occasions are led by the old queen, and a new queen is libe-
rated to take her place in the hive as soon as she departs.
But if at the moment the colony is about to emerge the
weather becomes overcast, and rain either falls or threatens
to fall, the emigration will be delayed, and • the constant
watchfulness of the guard appointed•to protect the young
queen is necessary to prevent her mother from putting her
to death, and from tearing open the calls containing the
royal brood, and killing the occupants. The guards do not

treat her with disrespect or unkindness, but they are firm.
It is said that she sometimes paralyses their movements by
emitting a low humming sound, precisely as if she were
addressing them, and then tries to take advantage of the
effect she produces to renew her attempt; but the
instant she beco►nes silent they awake to the sense of
their duty, if indeed they have ever forgotten it in listen-
ing to her.—Once a Week.

FOREIGNERS' ADMIRATION FOR CLEANLINESS.
" I shall never forget a story told me once of an Euglish
tourist pedestrianising in Sardinia, who, halting one sun-
down at a very primitive village inn, though he might
make himself somewhat tidier and morn comfortable by a
good wash. So, procuring a tub and some hot water, he
proceeded as a preliminary measure to wash his feet. It is
presumable that the people of the inn had never before seen
an Englishman, if, indeed, anybody, taking a foot-bath; at
all events, heads were popped in at the door; curious eyes
peeped through the windows; shrill exclamations, seem-
ingly feminine, of 'Santa Maria purissinta ." were heard.
The thing got noised abroad. It was spoken of at the
fountain. The brigadier of gendarmerie twirled his mou-
stachios, and determined to ask the Forestiero for his pass-
port so soon as his feet were dry. But the population were
pleased. Merry groups saluted the Englishman as, washed
and combed, he came from his toilette. A song in honour
of him was improvised. It was a most glorious sunset.
Suddenly there was a cry of ' Unafesta una festa ." Never
was a festival sooner gotten up. Tables and benches were
heaped in a corner, and the population began to dance.
I believe they kissed the Englishman, and that he
stood' penn'orths of wine all round. They brought
out the oldest man in the village, set him in an arm-chair,
and crowned him with flowers. The cure came out of his
house and blessed them. Somebody bought a squib and
let it off. It was fairy land. It was patriarchal. The
golden age had come again."—Sala's Last Book.
THE FORTHCOMING HORSE Snow.— Yesterday
the arrangements for the forthcoming horse show at the
Agricultural Hall, Islington, were finally completed for
the reception of the animals to compete for prizes, and who
will all have to be in their places to-morrow. The
judging will take place on b'aturday, on which day the
show opens. The show is divided into 17 classes, and
will contain some of the finest thoroughbred hunters
which the kingdom can produce. The entries for the
leaping prizes, which are to be competed for on the York-
shire principle, as well as for the trotting prizes, are ex-
ceedingly numerous. The extra prize—the Agricultural
Hall gold medal, presented by Mr. Henry Dodd, ono of
the directors, for the best cob not exceeding seven years
old, and up to 16 stone has produced a host of competi-
tors.
A DREADFUL BGRE.—A modern Magliabechi
has turned up in St. George's Blind Schodl, Southwark.
A young man there repeats from memory the whole
of " Paradise Lost," with the marginal notes and
biographical preface, the 150 Psalms, and Gold-
smith's "Deserted Village," to say nothing of such trifles
as three or four hymnals, and a considerable amount of
%140deru poetry.—South London Pm%