UNDER THE APPLE-TREES 



may meet the queen while she is coursing at random 

 on her nuptial flight through the upper air. 



Speaking of the queen of the hive-bee reminds me 

 how literally the life of the hive revolves around her. 

 The queen's moral support of the swarm, so to 

 speak, is vital. If any accident befall her, in the case 

 of a new swarm before it has established itself, the 

 whole mass of worker bees instantly becomes de- 

 moralized; the swarm loses heart, and gradually 

 perishes without making any attempt to start a new 

 colony. The members seem to know instinctively 

 that there can be no increase, and that their own 

 lives are worthless. 



I have seen the whole swarm, when it was sud- 

 denly discovered that the queen was missing, show 

 the greatest agitation, every individual insect rush- 

 ing about with quivering body and wings, in a panic 

 of alarm. What one bee knew and felt, apparently 

 the whole swarm knew and felt simultaneously. 



It is worthy of note that though it costs the drone 

 his life to fertilize the queen, dozens of them course 

 through the air during the period that the mating- 

 flight of the queen is due to take place, ready to sac- 

 rifice themselves in performing this duty. Alike 

 with drone, worker, queen, the paramount instinct 

 is the perpetuity of the race. 



So careless of the male of most species is Nature, 

 so solicitous for the well-being of the female! The 

 function of the male is a brief one, that of the female 

 74 



