38 



INHABITANTS OF THE HIVE. 



bees, as well becomes her position of queen, or rather, 

 we might say, the mother bee of the hive. 



The Qvieen and her tittendanls. 



' Twelve chosen guards, with slow and solemn gait, 

 Bend at her nod, and round her person wait.' 



Evans. 



She is always called the queen, but this term ot 

 mother bee ' is perhaps the most correct ; for this is 

 what she really is, the mother of all the bees in the 

 hive, the honoured and respected head of the whole 

 family, both workers and drones. And it is most 

 interesting to see the care the workers take of her, 

 and how they treat her, as a mother ought always to 

 be treated by her children ; how they wait upon her, 

 and provide for all her wants, and mourn for her if 

 she dies ; a;nd indeed soon themselves pine away and 

 die, unless they can get another to take her place. 



In olden days it was not by any means universally 



