126 PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 



pressed hairs ; the first segment being very short, and 

 covered with longer hairs. The ventral segments, ex- 

 cept the (tnal^ which is black, are fulvescent or rufo- 

 fuh ous, and covered with soft longer hairs. The va- 

 ginaoiihe spicula (commonly called the sting) is curved. 



The male bee, or drone, is quite the reverse of his 

 royal paramour ; his body being thick, short, and clumsy, 

 and very obtuse at each extremity'*. It is covered also, 

 as to the ^ea^and trunk, with dense hairs. 



The head is depressed and orbicular. The tongue is 

 shorter and more slender than that of the female; and 

 the mandibles, though nearly of the same shape, are 

 smaller. The ei/es are very large, meeting at the back 

 part of the head. In the space between them are 

 placed the anfennce and stemmata. The former con- 

 sist of fourteen joints, including the radicle, the fourth 

 and fifth being very short and not easily distinguished. 



The trunk is large. The loings are longer than the 

 body. The legs are short and slender. The posterior 

 iibice are long, club-shaped, and covered with inconspi- 

 cuous hairs. The posterior plantar are furnished un- 

 derneath with thick-set scopulce, which they use to brush 

 their bodies. 



The claw-joints are fulvescent. 



The abdomen is cordate, very short, being scarcely 

 so long as the head and trunk together, consisting of 

 seven segments, which are fulvous at their apex. The 



* Virgil seems to lieive reji^arded the drone as one of the sorts of kings 

 or leaders of the bees, when he sa\s, spi\iking of the latter, 



" Ille horidns alter 



Desidi^, latamque trahens inglorius alvuin." 



Gcorcic, iv. I. 94. 



