THE DRONE OR MALE BEES. 23 
Bonner* and Huber, no expulsion of drones occurs. 
“In such cases,” says the latter, “they are tolerated 
and fed, and many are seen even in the middle 
of January.” They are retained under the inspira- 
tion of hope, for a contingency might arise to 
require their presence. Where a necessity for swarm- 
ing has been in any way superseded, there are 
either no royal cells constructed, or the young 
queens meet with premature destruction. Then fre- 
quently commences an early expulsion of the drones, 
thus rendered purposeless; they become mere con- 
sumers, an incumbrance in the hive, and as such, 
the worker bees instinctively wage fierce war upon 
them, ending in total annihilation; nor are even 
the male larve allowed to remain in their cells. 
Very little actual stinging takes place, but the 
drones are attacked and worried away from the 
stores of provisions, until, when thoroughly weak- 
ened from exhaustion, they lose all power of re- 
sistance, and are driven forth one by one to perish 
in the cold. Care should be taken to prevent their 
stifling the hive by dying in a pile at the entrance- 
hole. This expulsive process often commences 
under such circumstances, in the middle, or at any 
rate towards the end, of May, as I have repeatedly 
witnessed, and not unfrequently is again resorted 
to later on in the season. On the other hand, in 
the case of swarming hives it does not take place 
till July, or even later, according to season and 
locality, when all the royal brood is disposed of. 
* A Scotch apiarian of the 18th century ; not to be confused with 
Bonnet. ‘Lhe observation has since been confirmed by others. 
