252 VARIETIES THE QUEEN DESCRIBED, 



other countries than in this, where we pay little at- 

 tention to that matter. To the queen, or mother of 

 the whole community, however, it is necessary for 

 the intended bee-master to give the strictest atten- 

 tion, as, without a queen, it is useless to possess a 

 hive, since neither can the generation of fresh swarms 

 proceed, nor will those which may be present, labour, 

 but either emigrate, or languish and die. It being 

 then so necessary to have the distinguishing form 

 and features of a queen familiarly in the eye, I shall 

 give a description of her, and for correctness sake, 

 from Mr. Huish, a most able, practical, and compre- 

 hensive writer on the subject. 



The form of the QUEEN is wholly different from 

 that of other bees. Like the drones, she neither 

 has nor needs the triangular store cavities in her 

 hinder thighs ; her teeth are smaller than those of 

 the working bee, but larger than those of the drone, 

 and she has no bunches of hair or bristle near her 

 feet ; she is longer in her body, and more tapering 

 than the drone. Her belly is of a golden colour, 

 and the upper part of her is of a brighter hue than 

 than that of the common bee. But the most un- 

 erring rule to judge of the queen bee is from the 

 shortness of her wings, which extend only to the 

 third ring of her body, whilst those of the working 

 bees, and more particularly those of the drones, 

 cover its whole length. Thus she flies with greater 

 difficulty than the working bees ; however, it is 

 mere accident, if in the course of her life, she should 

 have any occasion for \vings. She is said to be 

 armed with a crooked sting, which yet she seldom 

 uses, or if ever, very slightly ; a provident care of 



