174 SOME SUGGESTIONS FOE THE STUDY OF INSECTS. 



are attended to by the workers. The drones, which are the 

 male members of the colony, are produced at will by 

 the queen. They hatch out in 25 days, and in about a 

 fortnight afterwards they engage in the nuptial flight with 

 the young queens. They are subsequently killed off by the 

 workers before the end of the season. 



Functions of the Workers. 



The workers make the cells from the wax which is 

 secreted in thin plates in the joints of the abdomen. Cells 

 for the worker grubs and honey are smaller than those 



Fig. 70. Bees and Comb. 



D, Drone comb ; W, Worker comb ; Q, Queen cells, 

 d, Drone ; w, Worker ; q, Queen. 



intended for the grubs of the drones. The cells are of the 

 usual hexagonal type. The queen cell is irregularly oval in 

 shape, and about one inch long by broad. It is made of 



