50 A PHILOSOPHER WITH NATURE 



perfect females or queens in about equal proportion. 

 When these attain to maturity the dissolution of 

 the commonwealth is at hand. Neither the males 

 nor the young queens take any interest in the affairs 

 of the colony, and they both forsake the nest soon 

 after they are able to fly. The males pass a brief 

 roving existence, exhibiting a marked spirit of 

 masculine independence, stopping out all day and 

 all night too. They spend the sunny days in 

 looking for their mates, till having fulfilled their 

 mission in the world, they, like the workers, all 

 die at the approach of winter. Only the queens 

 remain, and these wander about till the cold weather 

 warns them that it is time to search for a warm corner, 

 where haply they may survive the winter to start 

 the following year on their own account. 



It is generally supposed that the old queen does 

 not survive a second winter. The queen bee of 

 the hive species it is well known lives and remains 

 fruitful for several years. I have often missed 

 the old queen from my nests towards the end of 

 the year, and have often wondered what had become 

 of her. One morning early in July last year I was 

 watching one of my colonies at work when I was 

 surprised to see the old queen come out unattended, 

 and after a little hesitation fly away. I watched 

 for a long time but did not see her come back, and 

 as far as I could learn she did not return during 

 the day. Next day I opened the nest. The 

 colony was in a very flourishing condition ; some 

 young queens had just been hatched out, and there 

 was a good deal of young brood in various stages 

 of development, and some eggs which had not been 

 long laid, but, as I expected, the old queen was 



