Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-01-20
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The following is part Of lecture on
the "Habits and Instincts of Bees"
delivered before the Philadelphia
Spring Garden Institute, during the
early part of December last, by Rev.
l.. L. Longstreth:
The honey-bee belongs to the class
of insects which live in n perfect COM
muniiy--indeed, bees can flourish on.
IS, when assoeis.tssl-i -ia large mum bers as
a colony. In solitary state, u single
bee would be almost as helpless as a
newborn child, and would be unable
to endure even the ordinary chill of an
aulumnal night. Ii a family of bees
is examined before it sends off new
colony in the spring. three different
kinds ofbces will bc.found in the hive.
I. One bee Of peculiar shape, COM
monty called the qucen-bee. 2. A
number Of large bees, called drones.-
3. Many thousands of n smaller kind,
called workers, and similar TO those
which are seen on the blossoms. A
large number of the cells will be found
filled with honey and bec.bread, while
vast numbers contain eggs and imma-
ture young--a few cells Of unusual
size and shape being devoted to the
rearing OF young queens.
The queen bee is the only perfect
female in the hive. and all the eggs
are laidtby her. The drones are the
males; and the workers are females,
so imperfectly developed that they are
incapable Of laying eggs, and retain
the instincts Of females only so far rs
TO give the most devoted attention to
feeding and rearing tho young. The
queen bee, or, as she ought more prop.
erly to be called. the mother bee, is
the common mother Of the whole colo
nv. She reigns. therefore, most un-
questionably, by divine right, ms ev-
cry good mother is, or at least ought
to be, a queen in the bosom Of her own
family. The fertility Of the queen bee
is very great. She will often lay as
many as three thousand eggs in a sin
gle day.
As the common bees never attain
the age Of single year, constant
succession of young bees must be ad-
ded to the hive; and therefore, no col
ony can long exist without the pres
ence Of this important insect. She is
as absolutely necessary to its welfare
as the soul is to the body. The queen
bee is treated by the bees, as every
mother ought to be by her children,
with the most unbounded respect and
affection. A circle Of her loving Off
spring constantly surround her. testi,
flying in various ways their dutiful re-
gard-oll'ering her honey from time L
time, most alfectionately embracing
her with their antenn@, and carefully
smoothing her beautiful plumage. Ii
the frontispiece of my treatise on bee
/ have given an exact representation
Of the attitude in which they gather
around her. If she wishes TO trave
over the combs, they not only MAKE
way for her, but most politely bacl
out of her presence. and ever seem in
tent on doing all that they can to pro
mote her comfort and happiness
/ How ought such beautiful exampl,
to put to the blush those undutifu
children who treat their mothers will
irrevercncc or neglect, and who, in
stead Of striving with loving zeal Il
tighten their labors and save their steps
treat them more rs though they wer,
servants, hired only to wait upon eve
ry whim and to humor every caprice
II the queen is taken from the bees
as soon as they ascertain their loss til,
whole colony is thrown into state O
the most intense agitation; all the Ia
bors of the hive are at once abandoned
the bees run over the combs in viii,
despair: and often the whole OF then
rush forth from the hive, in anxiou
search for their beloved MOTHER
When they return to their now desc
late home, by their mournful tone
they manifest the deepest sense G
their deplorab!c calamity. Theirnot