The bees, far from seeking to prevent these battles, appear to excite the combatants against each other, surrounding and bringing them back to the charge when they are disposed to recede from each other; and when either of the queens shows a disposition to approach her antagonist, all the bees forming the cluster instantly give way to allow her full liberty of attack. The first use which the conquering queen makes of her victory is to secure herself against fresh dangers by destroying all her future rivals in the royal cells; while the other bees, which are spectators of the carnage, share in the spoil, greedily devouring any food which may be found at the bottom of the cells, and even sucking the fluid from the abdomen of the pupæ before they toss out the carcasses.[54] Similarly, when a strange queen is put into a hive already provided with a queen-- A circle of bees instinctively crowd around the invader, not, however, to attack her--for a worker never assaults a queen--but to respectfully prevent her escape, in order that a combat may take place between her and their reigning monarch. The lawful possessor then advances towards the part of the comb where the invader has established herself, the attendant workers clear a space for the encounter, and, without interfering, wait the result. A fearful encounter then ensues, in which one is stung to death, the survivor mounting the throne. Although the workers of a _de facto_ monarch will not fight for her defence, yet, if they perceive a strange queen _attempting_ to enter the hive, they will surround her, and hold her until she is starved to death; but such is their respect for royalty that they never attempt to sting her.[55]