44 HISTORY AND PHYSIOLOGY. 



perceive their danger ; for they are never, at this 

 time, seen resting in one place, but darting in or 

 out of the hive, with the utmost precipitation, as 

 if in fear of being seized. Their destruction has 

 been generally supposed to be effected by the 

 workers harassing them till they quit the hive : 

 this was the opinion of Mr. Hunter, who says the 

 workers pinch them to and fro, without stinging 

 them, and he considers their death as a natural 

 rather than an untimely one. In this Bonnet seems 

 to agree with Mr. Hunter. But Huber has ob- 

 served that their destruction is effected by the stings 

 of the workers : he ascertained this by placing his 

 hives upon a glass table, as will be stated under 

 the anatomy of the bee, article " Sting." Reaumur 

 seems to have been aware of this, for he has re- 

 marked that " notwithstanding the superiority 

 which the drones seem to have from their bulk, 

 they cannot hold out against the workers, who are 

 armed with a poniard which conveys poison into 

 the wounds it makes." The moment this formida- 

 ble weapon has entered their bodies, they expand 

 their wings and expire. This sacrifice is not the 

 consequence of a blind indis criminating instinct, 

 for if a hive be deprived of its queen, no massacre 

 takes place, though the hottest persecution rage 

 in all the surrounding hives. This fact was ob- 

 served by Bonner, who supposed the drones to be 



