1897. 



THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



1(53 



He logically emphasizes these contra- 

 dictious by simple directions for a 

 dissection that will leave no doubt as 

 to the sex of the drone, and states 

 that this may sometimes be shown 

 by mere pressure. 



There are two arguments strenu- 

 ously offered against the killing of 

 drone, viz., his necessity in procrea- 

 tion, and his usefullness in "sitting 

 upon and hatching the eggs, and by 

 his great heat doth keep warm the 

 brood when hatched, thereby giving 

 the working bees the more liberty to 

 follow their labors abroad, whilst they 

 supply their place at home, by taking 

 care of the young; so that the Male 

 Bee is not only of great use, but of 

 absolute necessity, not only to the be- 

 ing, but the well-being of the Colony 

 of Bees, "Again, on this same point, 

 he notes that the drones are not suf- 

 fered to leave the brood while the 

 'Honey Bees, or female,' are at 

 work;" but about one or two o'clock, 

 when the chief part of the day's work 

 is done by the bees, most of them re- 

 pairing home, take care of their own 

 brood, and so give leave to these, 

 their obedient masculine servants, to 

 recreate themselves abroad, their heat 

 now being no longer necessaiy within 

 doors. Their emergence is vividly 

 described, also the kindly welcome on 

 return, until the breeding season is 

 over. 



Their physical inability to obtain 

 nectar from the flowers has not es- 

 caped the author's eye. In fact, bar- 

 ing the comical idea regarding their 

 aid in incubation, the chapter on 

 drones would require little remodel- 

 ing to bring it up to date. 



The personal appearance of the 

 queen, as he declares to be the true 



title of the so-called "King Bee," is 

 truthfully described; and we can only 

 wonder that the close study shown in 

 so many instances did not result in 

 dissection, and an establishment of 

 her necessity in populating the hive. 

 Her mission, however, as regarded by 

 the author, is to rule and direct. And 

 very interesting are some of his ex- 

 periments proving the loyalty of her 

 subjects, even unto death; the chaos 

 caused among them by her temporary 

 loss, and the immediate return to or- 

 der on her restoration . 



The metamorphoses taking place 

 between the eggs and the adult state 

 are in the main accurate. Twenty- 

 one days are allowed for the complete 

 process, — the egg being regarded as a 

 product of the worker bee. "The egg 

 is with all the care and exactness laid, 

 with one end touching one of the six 

 angles, or corners of the cell, that as 

 it grows in length, as well as bigness, 

 it may be the longer before it comes 

 to touch the opposite angle with its 

 other end, which otherwise would in- 

 commode the Embrion; for if it 

 should have been laid against one of 

 its flat sides, or squares, there would 

 not have been so much room for its 

 growth from square to square , as from 

 corner to corner, so that always you 

 find them, when first laid, with one 

 end of the egg touching one of the 

 corners, and the other end pointing 

 against its opposite corner." Then 

 comes the crescent form of the mag- 

 got, and subsequently changes as re- 

 lated in the modern text. 



The limit of a bee's age is fixed at 

 one year; and the fallacy of the good 

 housewife's argument against letting 

 a strong swarm stand for another 

 season on the plea that "it is two years 



