INSECTA. 183 



hunger. If examined on its way back to the hive, the 

 little laborer will be found to have in the cavity of each 

 thigh two little pellets resembling peas ; this, kneaded 

 into its present form by its legs, is called bee-bread, and 

 formed from the pollen of flowers, in which the little 

 creature rolls itself, is the food of the young. The 

 workers, whose task it is also to prepare the wax, retain 

 the sweet fluid they have sucked in their honey bag ; 

 this reservoir, transparent and about the size of a small 

 pea, is emptied at once on their return ; the wax also is 

 transuded from between the rings of the abdomen. They 

 do more, however, than collect bee-bread and honey for 

 sustenance or knead wax for the forming of combs ; they 

 are the guardians of the hive and attendants of the queen. 

 They cluster around her, defend the community against 

 enemies of all kinds, feed the young larvae, and procure 

 fresh air for the hive by beating with their wings. In 

 short, industrious and indefatigable in discharge of their 

 duties, these unselfish members of the little community 

 seem to allow themselves no rest. Their lives are short, 

 seldom living over eight months ; subject to many dangers, 

 such as being devoured by birds or beaten down by storms 

 of wind and rain ; as they wander far from home, they 

 are often killed. The queen may live several years, but 

 the drones, the reverse of the workers, being lazy as the 

 others are industrious, caring nothing for the prosperity 

 of the hive, and going forth on warm days only, not to 

 collect stores for the general good but barely to attend 

 upon the queen, are very short-lived, and if their exist- 

 ence is prolonged to August, they are killed by the 

 working bees. These massacres are described as most 

 furious and sanguinary. Thrusting their stings into the 

 bodies of the defenseless drones or biting off their wings, 



