Teacher's Leaflet. 817 



laying at the rate of six eggs per minute, and often laying three thousand eggs 

 per day, which is twice her weight. If the workers do not allow her to destroy 

 the other queens, then she takes part of her colony with her and swarms out, 

 seeking a home elsewhere. 



References.—" The Bee People," p. 93 ; " How to Keep Bees," p. 27. 



Lesson XL. 

 the drone. 



Purpose. — To study the form and life of the drone. 

 Material — A dead or living drone ; preferably a living specimen. 

 Observations. — (i). How^ does the drone differ in size and form of 

 body from the worker? 



(2). How does he differ in these respects from the queen? 



(3). Has he pollen baskets on his -legs? 



(4). Has he a sting? 



(5). Compare his eyes with those of the queen and worker. 



(6). Compare the size of his wings with those of the queen and worker. 



Topic for English lesson. — The drone. This should cover the follow- 

 ing points : In what sort of cell are the drones developed ; does he go 

 out to gather honey or help in the work of the hive ; how is he fed ; how 

 is he unfitted for work for the colony in the following particulars : Tongue, 

 lack of pollen baskets, lack of sting, no wax pockets; why the drone 

 should be called a prince or king; the death of the drones; when and 

 by what means does it occur. 



Facts for the Teacher. — The drone differs much in shape from the queen and the 

 worker. He is broad and blunt, being very different in shape from the queen, and 

 larger than the worker. (Fig. p. 78, 2.) He has no pollen baskets on his legs and 

 has no sting. His eyes are very much larger than those of the queen or the worker 

 and unite at the top of his head. (Fig. p. 74, D.) His wings are larger and stronger 

 than those of the worker or queen. It is not his business to go out and gather 

 honey or help in the work of the hive. His tongue is not long enough to get 

 honey from flowers ; he has no pollen baskets in which to carry pollen ; he has no 

 sting to fight enemies and no pockets for secreting wax ; he is fed by his sister 

 workers until the latter part of the season when the honey supply runs low and 

 then he is stung or bitten to death by these same sisters who have always given 

 him such good care. The drone should be called a prince or king since his particu- 

 lar office in the hive is to mate with the queen. 



