THE MAEYEL OF INSECT LIFE. 

 CHAPTER II. 



HUMBLE BEES THEIR HOUSEKEEPING. 



HAVING- given a rapid sketch of Solitary Bees, we 

 shall now glance at those that are social in their 

 habits. These insects fall naturally into two divisions, 

 namely the Humble Bees and the Hive Bees, of which 

 latter insects there are more species than is generally 

 imagined. 



In all these insects we find a new element introduced 

 into their economy. The Solitary Bees consist of males 

 and females, as is the case with most insects. But, in 

 the Social Bees, we find three distinct ranks, if we may 

 use the word. There are the males, which we popularly 

 call Drones, the females, which we term Queens, and 



