18 THE BEE-KEEPER’S MANUAL. 
existence. But those born at the end of the gathering 
season have been known to live for fully eight months, 
while if deprived of a queen and well fed (for they 
then will not work), the same bees have been sustained 
for from ten months to over a year. 
To enter properly into the senses and faculties of 
bees would necessitate a chapter upon their anatomy, 
and for this our limits cannot make room. A few 
brief sentences must therefore suffice. Their principal 
eyes form lobes at each side of the face, and each eye 
resembles a miultiplying-glass consisting of some 
thousand separate lenses, each of which 1s constructed 
with most marvellous intricacy. Besides these a bee 
possesses three small globular eyes on the top of its 
head. The insect manifests considerable power in 
distinguishing colours. The seat of hearing is 
undecided, but probably in the antenne—for that 
they do hear may he set down as quite certain, if only 
from the responsive pipings of rival princesses. The 
sense of smell is thought by many to reside in the 
same organs, though this is less clearly established. 
But with these it is certain that they communicate 
with each other, and telegraph round the hive the 
state of affairs and the decrees of their own will. The 
same antenne are of course their most delicate 
organs of feeling, and altogether if these are removed 
the insect becomes useless. The tongue resembles an 
elephant’s proboscis, and none will need assurance of 
bees possessing an exquisite sense of taste. True they 
like many things which we do not, but that only 
exemplifies a well-hackneyed proverb. They perform 
the most essential services to flowers by conveying the 
