124 THE HONEY-BEE. 



hatched after the drones of a season are dead, also 

 laying eggs which will develop only into male bees. 

 We are absolutely unable to account for these most 

 extraordinary circumstances, which open up in- 

 teresting fields for future investigation. Not the 

 least wonderful point is the exercise of will, on the 

 part of the queen, in the production of the particular 

 kind of egg which, without making mistakes, she lays 

 in the cells specially provided for the three classes of 

 her offspring. 



The last of the abdominal organs we have now to 

 describe, is one which is not essential to the life of 

 the individual, but has been conferred by the Creator 

 as a means of offence and defence, viz., the sting. 

 Those who have frequently felt its effects have no 

 need to be told how formidable a weapon it is ; but 

 few probably are fully acquainted with the structures 

 which give it such potent force. If a bee be irritated, 

 and made to thrust out its sting, we observe a dark 

 brown and sharply-pointed dart. This, when mag- 

 nified, is seen to be the sheath, in which the true sting 

 lies and is moved. The sheath is divided down the 

 centre, and between the two parts the real piercers 

 work, though the sheath itself is thrust into the 

 wound. It consists of two horny scales, smooth and 

 closely adherent to the true darts. These last are 

 stiff filaments, barbed along their outer edge. They 

 are not quite equal in length, so that the teeth of the 

 one do not lie exactly opposite those of the other. 

 They work side by side, and, possibly with alternate 

 motion, pierce deeper and deeper into the punctured 

 material. The teeth give a firm hold to the imbedded 

 weapon, and prevent its easy withdrawal. In fact, 



