32 THE HONEY-BEE. 



Again, certain Polish writers have asserted that 

 the drones are the water-carriers of the community ; 

 but this notion is as fanciful and groundless as the 

 preceding idea. 



A more sensible supposition is that by their 

 numbers the warmth of the hive necessary for the 

 hatching and development of the larvae is promoted, 

 and that, in consequence, more of the workers are 

 freed for honey-getting and pollen-gathering. One 

 objection to this theory has been made on the score 

 that, when there is most need for the heat of the hive 

 to be maintained, viz., in the winter, all the drones 

 are dead ; but the reply to this is, that at that season 

 there are no stores to be collected, and therefore no 

 need for the workers to be liberated from indoor 

 duties. 



It is certain that bee-keepers who have taken the 

 trouble to catch or to destroy hundreds of drones 

 from their hives, have not found themselves rewarded 

 by a greater amount of produce or by stronger stocks 

 through saving what the murdered drones would 

 have eaten. At the same time, where a honey- 

 harvest is desired, there is little doubt it is well for 

 some control to be exercised over the number of 

 drones hatched in the hive. This can be governed, 

 to a considerable extent, by furnishing the bees with 

 " foundation comb," the rudimentary cells of which 

 are of the size adapted only for workers. Still, there 

 is no doubt of the practical importance of having a 

 good supply of males in the hives during the swarm- 

 ing time. When they are no longer of use, the 

 workers expel them. By many it has been asserted 

 that the drones are stung to death ; but any one who 



