»8 PHYSIOLOGY OF THE HONEY-BEE. 



A good colony, even in our climate, sometimes sends out 

 three or more swarms, and in the tropical climates, of which 

 the bee is ^probably a native, they increase with astonishing 

 rapidity. Every new swarm, except the first, is led off by a 

 young queen; and as she is never impregnated until she has 

 been established as the head of a separate family, it is im- 

 portant that each should be accompanied by a goodly number 

 of drones; this requires the production of a large number 

 in the parent-hive. 



190. This necessity no longer exists when the bee is do- 

 mesticated, since several colonies are kept in the same place, 

 and the breeding of so many drones should be discouraged. 

 Their brood takes useful space that might as well be occupied 

 with worker-brood. One thousand good-for-nothing drones 

 take up as much breeding-space as fifteen hundred workers 

 (224), and require as much food, with negative results. Some 

 hives, in a state of nature, produce so many drones that a 

 great part of the surplus crop is disposed of by these vora- 

 cious loafers. Besides, the comparatively large volume of the 

 male organs, in connection with the gluttony of the drones, 

 explains why they usually void their dejections in the hive, 

 while workers retain them till they are on the wing CtfS), and 

 why the cells of the combs of hives which have a large quantity 

 of these gormands, become dark and thick sooner than the 

 others. 



The importance of preventing the over-production of drones 

 has been corroborated hy the discovery of Mr. P. J. Mahan, 

 that those leaving the hive have quite a large drop of honey 

 in their stomachs— while those returning from their pleasure 

 excursions, having digested their dinners, are prepared for a 

 new supply (600). 



Aristotle ("History of Animals," Book IX, Chap. XI) 

 speaks of the irregular and thick combs built by some colonies, 

 and the superabundance of drones issuing from them. He 

 describes their excursions as follows : 



"The diones, when they go abroad, rise into the air with a 

 circular flight, as though to take violent exercise, and when they 



