OR, MANUAIv OF THE APIARY. 121 



the bees. All are interested, and doubtless more united than 

 is generally believed, in a desire to promote the free action of 

 these principles. No doubt the principle of antagonism among 

 the various bees has been overrated. Even the drones, when 

 they are being killed off in the autumn, make a sickly show of 

 defense, as much as to say, the welfare of the colony demands 

 that such worthless vagrants should be exterminated. How 

 relentlessly the bees drag out even the worker-bees that have 

 become loaded with the pollen-masses of milkweed, or other- 

 wise disabled. Such bees are of no more use, and useless 

 members are not tolerated in the bee-community. It is most 

 probable that what tends most for the prosperity of the colony 

 is well understood by all, and without doubt there is harmo- 

 nious action among all the denizens of the hive to foster that 

 which will advance the general welfare, or to make war on 

 whatever may tend to interfere with it. If the course of any 

 of the bees seems wavering and inconsistent, we may rest 

 assured that circumstances have changed, and that could we 

 perceive the bearing of all the surrounding conditions, all 

 would appear consistent and harmonious. The holding of 

 young queens in the cells, and guarding them, seems an 

 exception. 



THE DRONES. 



These are the male bees, and are generally found in the 

 hive only from May to November, though they may remain all 

 winter, and are not infrequently absent during the summer. 

 Their presence or absence depends upon the present and pros- 

 pective condition of the colony. If they are needed, or likely 

 to be needed, then they are present. There are in nature sev- 

 eral hundred, and often thousands, in each colony. The num- 

 ber may and should be greatly reduced by the apiarist. The 

 drones (Figs. 46, 47) are shorter than the queen, being less than 

 three-fourths of an inch in length, and are more robust and bulky 

 than either the queen or workers. The drones weigh about 

 1-2000 of a pound, while the workers only weigh 1-5000. They 

 are easily recognized, when flying, by their loud, startling 

 hum. As in other societies, the least useful make the most 

 noise. This loud hum would seem to be caused by the less 



