THE DRONE AND HIS STORY 24i 
adventure—he could not do it toa purpose. If a 
hive of bees be removed to a distance in the height 
of the season, some of both workers and drones are 
sure to find their way back to the old spot. This 
has constantly taken place when hives have been 
carried no farther than two miles. But in one case, 
when the distance was more than twice as much, 
no workers were seen round the old hive-station, 
yet a little company of drones was winging aim- 
lessly about the tenantless stool, and there can be 
little doubt that these belonged to the removed 
colony. It is not suggested that they deliberately 
travelled all these miles. The chances are that, in 
their daily flight, they got so far away from the 
new station that they came within the zone of old 
landmarks, and thus naturally went on by the 
long-accustomed ways. 
As a typical instance of a sluggard and idler, the 
drone-bee has enjoyed a vogue in the preparatory- 
school books for ages past. But, whatever his 
primzval equipment for usefulness may have been, 
it is evident now that he could not labour if he 
would. Physically, in all points but that of muscle, 
as well as mentally, he has become degraded to the 
inferior of the worker-bee in every way. He is 
destitute of all those special contrivances with 
which she is so amply furnished. He has no 
baskets for pollen-carrying, nor any of the in- 
genious brushes and combs which she uses to 
scrape the pollen from herself and others. He has 
16 
