WORKERS, QUEENS, AND DRONES 121 



drop from her mouth while two or three 

 hungry sisters eagerly lap it up. 



Although the wasp's-nest has such a 

 modest beginning it often attains quite 

 lordly dimensions toward the end of the 

 season, and contains many thousands of 

 inhabitants. 



For several weeks only workers are 

 developed. Then into some of the larger 

 cells, which, we have seen, are built later, 

 unfertilised eggs are laid, the queen hav- 

 ing the power to fertilise the eggs or not, 

 as she pleases. From these unfertilised 

 eggs drones are developed. Sometimes 

 the drone combs are quite distinct from 

 the worker combs, the cells in those being 

 larger than the worker cells; and again, 

 drone eggs are laid in the larger cells of 

 the worker combs. 



The drone is the male wasp. He is 

 usually larger than a worker, is more 

 brightly coloured, has long, drooping an- 

 tennae, and he has no sting. 



