Hive-Bees. 



159 



represents the common worker-bee, wliicli, as lias already 

 been mentioned, is simply an undeveloped female. Fig. 3 

 is the male or drone-bee, which is easily distinguishable, 

 even by a novice. He is larger, stouter, and heavier built 



than the female ; his eyes are so enormous that they seem 

 to occupy nearly the entire head, and he has some well- 

 defined tufts of hair on the end of the abdomen. He can 

 even be detected by the ear, as he flies, the deep droning hum 

 being quite unlike the fussy, business-like sound produced by 

 the worker. Fig. 4 represents one of the royal cells, a little 

 reduced in size. In making this cell, the bees lose sight of 

 their habitual economy of wax, and use enough material for 

 fifty ordinary cells. It is probable that the great size of 

 the cell enables the inclosed insect to expand, and so to be 

 capable of becoming the mother as well as the ruler of her 

 subjects. The royal cell is always placed at the edge of a 

 comb, so as not to interfere with the other cells, which 



