THB CHRISTIAN NATURALIST. 123 



The sad eyed justice, with his surly hum, 



Delivering o'er to ex-ecutors pale 



The lazy yawning drone.' — Shakespeare. 



This poetical description which was written more than 

 200 years ago, has been verified by observers in subse- 

 quent times in all its main particulars. It has been as- 

 certained to a certainty from numerous experiments that 

 every hive has a queen Bee, which is the mother of 

 the community, and whom they follow when the hive 

 swarms to seek a new settlement. Without a queen 

 they can neither be made to work, nor indeed to settle 

 any where ; and the affection with which they regard 

 her, is as full of striiting particulars as indeed are all 

 the other features of the history of this astonishing 

 insect. 



The various instincts which divine Providence has 

 thus implanted in the Bee, will supply us with many 

 useful and religious hints as to our conduct as rational 

 beings, and as Christians. The industry of this little 

 animal in collecting hon ey against a season when no 

 honey could be obtained, may shame the indolence of 

 that man who, however industrious he may be about 

 the trifles of this life, makes no provision for a period 

 when if he has not laid up a store of those good things 



