92 



OCCUPANTS OF THE HIVE 



are liateked are never impregnated in either case. When Dzier- 

 zon first discovered this fact, which is called " parthenogenesis," 

 his newly formulated theory of the ability of virgin mothers to 

 produce male offspring was ridiculed as impossible. However, 

 his observations 'vere later confirmed by careful observers, and 

 of late it is regarded as a settled fact, rather common among 

 insects. 



A vigorous queen will lay more than her own weight of eggs 

 daily during the height of the season. ISTurse bees wait upon 



Fig. 48. — Worker beea on the comb. 



her constantly, and feed her freely with highly nutritious and 

 ready digested food. 



The Worker. — Upon the worker bees (Fig. 48) devolve all 

 the labor of the hive. A lifetime of toil is their normal portion. 

 Building the combs, gathering the nectar and pollen to furnish 

 food for the community, secreting the wax, feeding the queen 

 and drones as well, nursing the .young bees, guarding the hive 

 against robbers, and carrying out refuse to keep the home clean 

 are a part of the manifold duties that they are called upon to 

 perform. 



By inheritance the worker is apparently in every way similar 



