Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-06-06
Farm and FzreSzde.
PROF. .sG.sSSIZ O.v BEES.

Prof. Agassiz has been delivering very
interesting course of lectures at the muse
um of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge,
Mass, on different subjects connected with
animal life. From a lecture on bees as re-
ported in the N. Y. Tribune, we take the
following:
The beehive consists, when in full activ-
ity, of one queen, several hundred drones,
and many thousand working bees. These
constitute a community by which COM
bined system OF labor is carried on trans
cending in many respects the most compli-
Gated actions of man himself. Their struct-
ure shows no organ similar to those by
which the mental functions are manifested
in the higher animals and in man. They
have no brain proper, nor does their ner-
vous system correspond in any way to that
of the vertebrates. In all vertebrates the
solid front mass of the nervous system
which we call the brain is prolonged back
ward into long cord, known as the spinal
marrow, from which many nervous threads
arise and branch, spreading through the
whole organization. The brain and the
spinal cord, in fact the whole central ner-
vous system, are inclosed in a cavity, the
skull and rachitic canal, separate from
those in which the organs of digestion, re-
spiration. circulation and reproduction are
COMMUNICATIVE chest and abdominal cavity.
For the articulates, on the contrary,
TO which all insects, crustacea, and worms
belong, the nervous system is scattered
along the length of the body in succession
of swellings connected together by threads.
The first of these swellings is situated in
the head, above the alimentary canal the
rest are at regular distances along the low
er side of the body. Thus it appears that
the battery from which all volition starts,
by which all the acts of life are performed
or regulated, through which all external
impressions are communicated and acted
upon, are very different in these two types
of the animal kingdom. 1t is therefore
hardly probable that the life work done by
these organs should be the same.
Let us look at some of the acts by which
the quality we call instinct is mani tested
in a community of bees. When such a
community becomes too populous for a
given hive, the bees "swarm' as it is call
ed ; that is, part of the overcrowded pop
ulation separates from the rest, and goes
off to establish new colony. In such case
the emigrants are chosen or form their
own band with direct reference, seemingly,
preserving the numerical proportions char
acteristic of all prosperous hives. The
swarm consists of one queen, some thous-
ands of working bees or undeveloped fe-
males, some hundreds of males or drones.
This is the normal combination in the bee
community, and hives so organized may sur
vive and keep together for many years.
There are reports of bee-hives a century
old. This is, however, probably an exag-
geration for boehves 20 years old are rare
and they do not often survive more than
seven or eight, or perhaps ten years. When
l speak of the life of beehive, do moi
mean to say that the individuals coinpos-
ing it live together for that length of time
indeed, queen rarely lives beyond three
or four years; one of seven years is sell
dom seen, while the males never survive
the summer in which they are born, ant
are replaced by new ones. But the hive
as a community holds together for mucl
longer period, being constatanly renewed
by the process Of reproduction, and comes
at last, like a human settlement, TO consis
of a variety of individuals born at different
times.
When a swarm breaks off from an ole
community to form new colony, the di
vision is generally due to the appearance,
of a new queen. The queen bee, usual,
quite contented with her lot, watching owe
her progeny, active and patient in the car
OF her eggs, becomes furious if rival a
rises in the hive. She pounces upon her
and they sometime fight to the death. S,
we'll Is this understood in the hive that In
workers take care 10 prevent such conflict
by holding back the new queen just read
TO be Matched from her royal cell till III
bees have swarmed. At such time til
workers will stand by the cell, out c
which queen is to be born, ascertain no,
far her transformation is completed, an
should there be disposition of the youn
queen shortly to creep out, they increas
the deposit of wax upon the lid which shut
the cell, thus preventing the egress of tn
royal prisoner. If she tries to break throug
or attempts to gnaw her way out, the work
ers crowd around the opening or accumu
late such an amount of wax as to frustrat
all her efforts. When the old queen ha
peacefully departed, the new one is set free
What makes this fact more extraordinar
is that usually the workers have neve
seen the birth of a queen or perfect femal
before; their hive has known but on
queen, and yet they anticipate and guar
against all the dangers likely to arise froI
second Can IL be that these creatures
the right thing at the right time conscious
ly by means OF any faculty similar to OF
reason?