10 A BRIEF HISTORT. 



She is nearly destitute of down, or hairs ; a very little 

 may be seen about her head and trunk. This gives 

 her a dark, shining appearance, on ^e upper side — 

 some are nearly black. Her legs are somewhat longer 

 than those of a worker ; the two posterior ones, and 

 the under surface, are often of a bright copper color. 

 In some of them a yellow stripe nearly encircles the 

 abdomen at the joints, and meets on the back. Her 

 wings are about the same as the workers, but as her 

 abdomen is much longer, they only reach about two- 

 thirds the length of it. For the first few days after 

 leaving the cell, her size is much less than after she 

 has assumed her maternal duties. She seldom, per- 

 haps never, leaves the hive, except when leading a 

 swarm, and when but a few days old, to meet the 

 drones, in the air, for, the purpose of fecundation. 

 The manner of the queen's impregnation is yet a dis- 

 puted point, and probably never witnessed by any 

 one. The majority of close observers, I believe, are 

 of opinion that the drones are the males, and that 

 sexual connection takes place in the air,* performing 

 their amours while on the wing, like the humble-bee 

 and some other insects. It appears that one impreg- 

 nation is operative during her life, as old queens are 

 not afterwards seen coming out for that purpose. 



DESCRIPTIOK AND DUTY OF WORKERS. 



As all labor devolves on the workers, they are pro- 



• The objectors to this hypothesis will be generally found among 

 those who are unable to give a more plausible elucidation. Those 

 who oppose the fact that one bee is the mother of the whole family, 

 will probably be in the same class. 



