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Operation Of Laying And The Eggs Described

Categories: BREEDING.
Bee Keeping: Mysteries Of Bee-keeping Explained

When a cell is in a condition to receive the egg, on withdrawing her

head she immediately curves her abdomen, and inserts it a few seconds.

After leaving it, an egg may be seen attached by one end to the bottom;

about the sixteenth of an inch in length, slightly curved, very small,

nearly uniform the whole length, abruptly rounded at the ends,

semi-transparent, and covered with a very thin and extremely delicate

coat,
ften breaking with the slightest touch.



After the egg has been about three days in the cell, a small white worm

may be seen coiled in the bottom, surrounded with a milky-like

substance, which is its food, without doubt. How this food is prepared,

is merely guess-work. The hypothesis of its being chiefly composed of

pollen, I have no objection to; as it is sufficiently proved by the

quantities that accumulate in hives that lose their queen, and rear no

brood (that is, when a requisite number of workers are so left). The

workers may be seen entering the cell every few minutes, probably, to

supply this food.[6]



[6] When the comb in our glass hive is new, and white, these

operations can be seen more distinctly than when very old and

dark.



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