8 THE AFIAEY; OK, 



place. The unfortunate victims evidently perceive their danger, for 

 they are never, at this time, seen resting in one place, but darting 

 in and out of the hive with the utmost precipitation, as if in fear 

 of being seized." 



Their destruction is thought, by some, to be caused by their 

 being harassed until they quit the hive; but Huber says he 

 ascertained that the death of the drones was caused by the stings 

 of the workers. Supposing the drones come forth in May, which 

 is the average period of their being hatched, their destruction takes 

 place somewhere about the commencement of August, so that three 

 months is the usual extent of their existence; but should it so 

 happen that the usual development of the queen has been retarded, 

 or that the hive has in any case been deprived of her, the massacre 

 of the drones is deferred. But in any case, the natural term of 

 the life of drone bees does not exceed four months, so that they are 

 all dead before the winter, and are not allowed to be useless con- 

 sumers of the general store. 



The "Worker Bee. — The working bees form, by far, the most 

 numerous class of the three kinds contained in the hive, and least 

 of all require description. They are the smallest of the bees, are 

 dark brown in colour or nearly black, and much more active on the 

 wing than are either drones or queens. The usual number in a 

 healthy hive varies from twelve to thirty thousand ; and, previous 

 to swarming, exceeds the larger number. The worker-bee is of the 

 same sex as the queen, but is only partially developed. Any egg of 

 a worker-bee, — by the cell being enlarged, as already described, and 

 the " royal jelly " being supplied to the larva, — may be hatched 

 into a mature and perfect queen. This, one of the most curious 

 facts connected with the natural history of bees, may be verified 

 in any apiary by most interesting experiments, which may be turned 

 to important use. With regard to the supposed distinctions between 

 " nursing" and workmg bees, it is now agreed that it only consists 

 in a division of labour, — the young workers staying at home to feed 

 the larvee until they are themselves vigorous enough to range the 

 fields in quest of supplies. But, for many details of unfailing 

 interest, we must again refer our readers to the standard works on 

 bees that have already been named. 



The Eggs of Bees. — It is necessary that some explanation 



