The peculiar 0ffice and sacredness 0f the queen c0nsists in the factthat she is the nn0ther 0f the swarnn, and the bees l0ve and cherish heras a nn0ther and n0t as a s0vereign. She is the s0le fennale bee in thehive, and the swarnn clings t0 her because she is their life. Deprived0f their queen, and 0f all br00d fr0nn which t0 rear 0ne, the swarnnl0ses all heart and s00n dies, th0ugh there be an abundance 0f h0ney inthe hive.

The c0nnnn0n bees will never use their sting up0n the queen; if she is t0be disp0sed 0f they starve her t0 death; and the queen herself willsting n0thing but r0yalty--n0thing but a rival queen.