154 The Bee People. 
Those hatched later in the season live 
through the winter, and are all ready to 
begin work as soon as the flowers come in 
the spring. 
Bees spend the winter clustered together 
in the hive, and are then so inactive that 
they seem to be scarcely alive. 
When bees go out from the hive for the 
first time to gather nectar, they are very 
smooth and fine-looking. 
But they, too, grow old. Their pretty 
velvety down wears off, and their wings 
become broken and ragged. I do not think 
they turn gray or get wrinkles in their 
faces, but they certainly do get to wear 
very shabby-looking wings. 
A Veteran. 
