Ordinarily the winter cluster in a hive of bees occupies the more central combs, four or five in number. Near the middle of this cluster the queen deposits the first eggs of the season (which are fertilized eggs) in the small-sized or worker cells. Under favorable circumstances, that is, in a strong colony amply protected against inclement weather, this deposition usually occurs in January, though in a very mild climate some brood is generally present during every month of the year, and the cessation of egg-laying is very short. The eggs hatch on the third day after deposition into minute white larvæ, to which the workers supply food in abundance. The composition of this food has been the subject of much attention and more theorizing. It may be considered as pretty certain that during the first three days of the life of the larva its food is a secretion from glands located in the heads of the adult workers--a sort of bee milk, to which, after the third day, honey is added in the case of the worker larvæ, and honey and pollen in the case of drone larva?. As this weaning proceeds both worker and drone larvæ receive pollen, and in constantly increasing proportions, in place of the secretion. But this rich albuminous substance is continued to the queen larvæ throughout their whole period of feeding; moreover, the quantity of this food supplied to each queen larva is apparently super-abundant, for after it ceases to feed quite a mass of the food somewhat dried out will be found in the bottom of the cell from which a well-developed queen has issued. After assuming the pupa form the young queen is attached to this food by means of the tip of the abdomen, and it very likely continues for some time to receive nourishment from the mass. The following table shows approximately the time occupied in the development of worker, drone, and queen: +----------+---------+---------+---------+-----------------+ | | | | | From deposition | | | Egg. | Larva. | Pupa. | of egg to imago.| +----------+---------+---------+---------+-----------------+ | | _Days._ | _Days._ | _Days._ | _Days._ | | Queen | 3 | 5½ | 7 | 15½ | | Worker | 3 | 5 | 13 | 21 | | Drone | 3 | 6 | 15 | 24 | +----------+---------+---------+---------+-----------------+