BEE-KEEPING 247 



If, by any chance, the queen fails to 

 become fertilised during her flight, she will 

 only be able to lay drone eggs, and will be 

 of no use as the mother of a colony. 



The queen may readily be distinguished 

 from the other bees by her size, shape and 

 colour. Her body is much longer and 

 tapering towards the extremity, she is darker 

 and glossier, and her wings are propor- 

 tionately shorter than those of the drone or 

 worker. 



Her sting, which is never used except in 

 combat with a rival sovereign, is curved 

 instead of straight. As her function in life 

 is merely to produce eggs, she is not 

 provided with any means for extracting 

 honey from flowers. 



The drones are the males, and exist only The drones 

 for the purpose of fertilising the queen. 

 They are much larger and bulkier than the 

 workers, but not so long as the queen. 

 They do no work for the support of the 

 hive, but depend upon the workers' labour. 



