HISTORY OF INSECTS. 29 



81. The drones are all males ;- they are less 

 than the queen, but larger than the workers ; they 

 live on the honey of flowers, but bring none home, 

 and are wholly useless, except as being the fathers 

 of the future progeny ; when this office is accom- 

 plished, they are destroyed by the workers. 



82. A buzzing commences in the hive ; the 

 drones and the workers sally forth together, 

 grapple each other in the air, hug and scuffle for 

 a minute, during which operation the stings of the 

 workers are plunged into the side of the drones, 

 who, overpowered by the poison, almost instantly 

 die. 



83. The workers are the smallest bees in the 

 hive, and by far the most numerous ; they have a 

 longer lip for sucking honey than either of the 

 others ; their thighs are furnished with a brush 

 for the reception of the honey of flowers, and 

 their sting is straight. 



84. The workers do the entire work of the 

 community ; they build the cells, guard the 

 hive and the queen, collect and store the honey, 

 elaborate the wax, feed the young, kill the 

 drones, &c. The average number of these three 

 kinds of bees in a hive is one queen, 2,000 drones, 

 and 20,000 workers. 



85. The eggs are long, slightly curved, and of 

 a bluish colour ; when laid, they are covered with 

 a glutinous matter, which instantly dries, attaching 

 them to the bottom of the cell. 



