BEE. 
341 
we set out at, and the continuance is only a re- 
petition of the same revolutions as I have now 
described: but those revolutions occasion a series 
of effects in the comb, which effects in time pro- 
duce variations in the life of the hive. Besides, 
there are observations that have little to do'with 
the oeconomy of a year, but include the whole of 
the life of this insect, or at least its hive. 
‘‘ Of the Lfe of the Bee. 
I have observed that the life of the male is 
only one summer, or rather a month or two; and 
this we know from there being none in the winter, 
otherwise their age could not be ascertained, as it 
is impossible to learn the age of either the queen 
or labourers. Some suppose that it is the young 
bees which swarm; and most probably it is so: 
but I think it is probable also, that a certain num- 
ber of young ones may be retained to keep up 
the stock, as we must suppose that many of the 
old ones are, from accidents of various kinds, lost 
to the hive; and we could conceive, that a hive 
three or four years old might not have an original 
bee in it, although a bee might live twice that 
time. But there must be a period for a bee to 
live; and if I were to judge from analogy, I should 
say, that a bee’s natural life is limited to a certain 
number of seasons; viz. one bee does not live one 
year, another two, another three, &c. I even 
conceive that no individual insect of any species 
