THE DRONE FATE OF DRONES. 255 



egg of a working bee. In one experiment, the 

 queen being removed, the bees set about construct- 

 ing royal cells, and placing common larvae in them : 

 in seven days, two queens were formed. One of 

 these killed the other, and though, while in a virgin 

 state, the surviving queen was treated by the bees 

 with no distinction whatever, she no sooner began 

 to lay, than she became the object of constant soli- 

 citude and respect, by her admiring subjects, who 

 watched, fed, and waited upon her. 



The DRONE, or male bee, is the largest ; full at 

 the extremity or tail, which the wings cover, except- 

 ing a small angle which has a blackish appearance. 

 Beneath, are two small protuberances, which are 

 the supposed indications of the masculine gender. 

 The drone, as every one knows, is left by nature 

 unarmed, the organs of generation in him being 

 found in the place of the sting in the working bee. 

 The antenna and probosces of the drones are shorter 

 than those of the labouring bees, and their teeth 

 smaller ; nor have they those cavities on the thighs, 

 which distinguish the latter, their sole destined em- 

 ployment being the propagation of their kind, for 

 which they are furnished with food from the common 

 stock, towards the collection of which they never 

 give, nor are expected to give, any assistance. The 

 fate of the drone bees is a singular proof of the in- 

 stinctive predominance of the interested motive in 

 animal nature, which may be traced equally to hu- 

 man nature in the savage state, and before the aspe- 

 rities of that state are mollified and worn away by 

 the expansion and culture of the reasoning faculty. 

 The drones are hatched at the beginning of the 



