ANNULOSA: INSECTA. 269 



has been effected, the drones, as being then useless, are de- 

 stroyed by the workers. The eggs produced by the fecundated 

 queen are mostly intended to give origin to neuters, to which 

 end they are placed in the ordinary cells. The ova which are 

 to give origin to females — the "queens" of future colonies — 

 are placed in cells of a peculiar construction, and the larvse 

 are fed by the workers with a special food. The ova which 

 are to produce males are likewise placed in cells, which are 

 slightly larger than those allotted to the workers. It is as- 

 serted, however, that this is not the sole or true cause of the 

 production of the males ; but that the ova which are intended 

 to produce drones are not fertilised by the female with the 

 semen which she has stored up in her spermatheca, and are 

 therefore produced by a process of Parthenogenesis. That 

 the males are produced parthenogenetically in some, at any 

 rate, of the Hymenoptera, appears to have been placed beyond 

 a reasonable doubt. by the researches by Von Siebold. — (See 

 Introduction.) 



In the Humble-bees {Bombida:), and in the Wasps ( Vespida), 

 we have societies essentially the same as in the Honey-bee. 

 In a large community of Wasps, or " vespiary," there may be 

 several hundred females, of which few survive the winter, and 

 live to found fresh colonies next spring. The-number of males 

 is about equal to that of the females, but, unlike the drones of 

 the Bees, the males work actively and defend the nest. As 

 amongst the Bees, solitary species are not uncommon. 



The Ants {Formicidm) likewise form communities, consisting 

 of males, females, and neuters (fig. 96). The males and 



Fig. 96. — Red Ant [Myrmica rufa). a Winged male ; b Wingless neuter. 

 Much magnified. 



females, as we have seen in the case of the Termites, are 

 winged, and are produced in great numbers at a particular 

 period of the year. They then quit the nest and pair, after 



