THE BLACK PHCEBE. 25 



shade and coolness. The young would die in the 

 hot south sunshine, and the mud nest would 

 crack with the sun directly on it. 



The edges of our box gave Phoebe a footing 

 while she was making the nest and caring for the 

 young ones. When they were feathered, they 

 leaned over the side of the box and cried, 

 " Phoebe, Phoebe," instead of " Mamma, mamma." 

 No other young- birds we know can speak so 

 plainly. 



As soon as they could fly, the mother brought 

 all four of them to the rose-trellis by the beehives, 

 where they cried in concert, " Phoebe, Phoebe," 

 as if they were talking to the bees. But the bees 

 paid no heed until they were obliged to. It was 

 drone-time, and the big bumming fellows were 

 filling the air. 



What are drones? They are the males of the 

 common honey-bee. They are larger than the 

 worker-bees, very lazy, and fly only in the middle 

 of the day, when the weather is very warm. 

 They never bring a drop of nectar to the hive, 

 nor do they help at the work inside the house. 

 They just eat and eat, and get in the way of the 

 workers. You have heard a lazy boy called a 

 "drone"? Probably it is not because he eats so 

 much, "but because he does not help with the 

 home-work. 



