106 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS 



over. It then lives very quietly, taking no 

 food, but there in the dark cell where no eyes 

 can see, a wonderful change is taking place, 

 so that at the end of twelve days the cap is 

 removed from the cell and the mature bee 

 comes forth. 



Soon after her emergence the young bee 

 begins to share the duties of the hive, nursing 

 the babies, cleaning out the waste, and various 

 other duties. Several days pass before she goes 

 to the field to join the busy throng which are 

 intent in laying up just as big a store of honey 

 as possible. No matter how much honey there 

 may be already there, if there is honey in the 

 field and room in the hive, they will continue 

 to pile it up against the day of scarcity. 



On one comb they found a number of sealed 

 cells that were larger than the others, and 

 whose tops were arched high like rifle bullets. 

 These were occupied by drones, or male bees. 

 When mature they are big, blundering fellows 

 who never work and who even insist on being 

 fed by their industrious sisters. In their 

 larval state they must be fed for a somewhat 

 longer period, and they occupy their cells 

 longer. Instead of reaching maturity in three 

 weeks, like their sisters, they require twenty- 



