THE DRONE FATE OF DRONES. 293 



a series of experiments in Scotland, ascertained, that 

 when a queen bee is wanting in a hive, she may be 

 produced from the egg of a working bee. In one 

 experiment, the queen being removed, the bees set 

 about constructing 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 

 solicitude 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 antennae 

 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 employment being the 

 propagation of their kind, for which they are fur- 

 nished with food from the common stock, towards 

 the collection of which they never give, nor are ex- 

 pected to give, any assistance. The fate of the 

 drones is a singular proof of the instinctive predomi- 

 nance of the interested motive in animal nature, 

 which may be traced equally to human nature in the 

 savage state, and before the asperities of that state 

 o3 



