94 HISTORY OF 



as yet none have been so bold as openly to op- 

 pose Reaumur's delightful researches. 



There are three different kinds of bees in every 

 hive. First, the labouring bees, which make up 

 the far greatest number, and are thought to be 

 neither male nor female, but merely born for the 

 purposes of labour, and continuing the breed, by 

 supplying the young with provision while yet in 

 their helpless state. The second sort are the 

 drones ; they are of a darker colour, longer, and 

 more thick by one-third than the former : they 

 are supposed to be the males, and there is not 

 above a hundred of them in a hive of seven or 

 eight thousand bees. The third sort is much 

 larger than either of the former, and still fewer 

 in number : some assert, that there is not above 

 one in every swarm ; but this later observers 

 affirm not to be true, there being sometimes five 

 or six in the same hive. These are called Queen 

 Bees, and are said to lay all the eggs from which 

 the whole swarm is hatched in a season. 



In examining the structure of the common 

 working bee, the first remarkable part that offers 

 is the trunk, which serves to extract the honey 

 from flowers. It is not formed, like that of other 

 flies, in the manner of a tube, by which the fluid 

 is to be sucked up, but like a besom, to sweep, 

 or a tongue, to lick it away. The animal is fur- 

 nished also with teeth, which serve it in making 

 wax. This substance is gathered from flowers, 

 like honey; it consists of that dust or farina 

 which contributes to the fecundation of plants, 

 and is moulded into wax by the little animal at 



