848 



INSECTA-BEE. 



and double black spots on the belly ; the head is also longer and slenderer 

 and the eyes somewhat resembling a half moon. It is extremely bold and 

 venomous. Its predominant passion is for flesh, and, when hungry, two or 

 three of them will seize upon a small bird, kill it, and devour its flesh. Nay, 

 it has even been said, that singly, it will attack and conquer a sparrow. 



THE BEE. I 



Queen. 



Working Bee. 



Drone. 



The domestic bee differs in a variety of particulars from most other ani- 

 mals, and admits a threefold description, under its various characters of 

 queen bee, drone bee, and loorking bee ; for though this last kind is, strictly 

 speaking, the only honeybee, yet as all the three kinds are found, and seem to 

 be necessary, in every community or hive of bees, they go under the same 

 general name o{ apis mellifica, while at the same time they differ so much 

 from each other, (more indeed than some different species of the same genus 

 of other animals,) that a particular and separate description of each is neces- 

 sary. The drones may easily be distinguished from the common or work- 

 ing bees. They are both larger and longer in the body. Their heads are 

 round, their eyes full, and their tongues short. The form of the belly differs 

 from those of both queen and common bees ; and their color is darker than 

 either. They have no sting, and they make a much greater noise when 

 flying than either the queen or the common bees ; a peculiarity of itself suf- 

 ficient to distinguish them. Other writers on this subject have asserted, 

 that the dissection of the drone gives as great proof of its being the male, as 

 that of the queen does of her being female. 



The queen is easily distinguished from all the other bees in the hive, by 

 the form, size, and color of her body. She is considerably longer, and her 

 wings are much shorter, in proportion to her body, than those of the other 

 bees. The wings of both common bees and drones cover their whole bodies, 

 whereas those of the queen scarcely reach beyond the middle, ending about 

 the third ring of the belly. Her hinder part is far more tapering than those 

 of the other bees ; her belly or legs are yellower, and her upper parts of a 



' Apis mellifica, Lin. 



