86 MANUAL OF THE APIART. 



surrounding conditions, all would appear consistent and har- 

 monious. 



THE DRONES. 



These are the male bees, and are generally found in the 

 hive only from May to November ; though they may remain 

 all winter, and are not infrequently absent during the summer. 

 Their presence or absence depends on the present and pros- 

 pective condition of the colony. If they are needed, or 

 likely to be needed, then they are present. There are in 



Fig. 17. 



Drone Bee, magnijied. 



nature several hundred in each colony. The number may 

 and should be greatly reduced by the apiarist. These (Fig. 

 17) are shorter than the queen, being less than three-fourths 

 of an inch in length, are more robust and bulky than either 

 the queen or workers, and are easily recognized when flying 

 , by their loud, startling hum. As in other societies, the least 

 useful make the most noise. This loud hum is caused by the 

 less rapid vibration of their large, heavy wings. Their flight 

 is more heavy and lumbering than that of the workers. Their 

 ligula, labial palpi and maxillae — like the same in the queen 

 bee — are short, while their jaws (Pig. 21, a) possess the rudi- 

 mentary tooth, and are much the same in fojm as those of 

 the queen, but are heavier, though not so strong as those of 

 the workers. Their eyes (Fig. 4) are very prominent, meet 

 above, and thus the simple eyes are thrown forward. Their 

 posterior legs are convex on the outside (Fig. 18), so, like the 

 queens, they have no pollen baskets. The drones are without 



