THE HONEY-BEE 67 



with sting and jaws, till they are killed out- 

 right. 



The same " esprit de la ruche/' the same 

 overwhelming instinct to provide at all costs 

 for the continuance of the race, causes the worker- 

 bees to work themselves to death in a few weeks 

 for the sake of succeeding generations, and 

 condemns the queen-bee to a life sentence, which 

 often takes four or five years to work out, of 

 penal servitude of perpetual parturience in pitchy 

 darkness. 



