36 PHYSIOLOGY AND BEEEDING. 



of the hive. When a swarm is just hived, the first cells 

 constracted are of the size for workers. If the hive be 

 very small, and bees numerous, it may be filled before 

 they are fully aware of it, and but few drone cells be 

 built ; consequently but few drones can be raised. If the 

 hive be large, considerable honey will be stored, and cells 

 for storing honey are usually of the size intended for 

 drones, and these will be made as soon as the requisite 

 number for workers is provided. It is said that more 

 drone cells are made when the queen is quite old. An 

 abundant yield of honey during the process of filling a 

 large hive, would also cause a greater proportion of these 

 cells to be built. The amount of drone brood! being gov- 

 erned by the same cause, is also a strong argument against 

 large hives, as afibrding room for too many of these cells, 

 where an unnecessary number of drones might be reared, 

 thus causing a useless expenditure of honey, etc. 



THEORIES RELATIVE TO DRONES. 



It is now determined that an egg deposited by an ordina- 

 ry queen, in a drone cell, becomes a drone, and in a worker 

 cell, a worker. I know that theories difiisring very ma- 

 terially from the foregoing, are advanced by nearly all 

 writers. One says : " In spring the queen lays about two 

 thousand eggs of males, resumes it again in August, but 

 during the rest of the intervals she exclusively lays worker 

 eggs. The queen must be at least eleven months old be- 

 fore she begins to lay the eggs of males." Dr. Bevan 

 says, " the great laying of drone eggs usually commences 

 about the end of April." All these theories are at fault. 

 It is proved beyond dispute that drone eggs are laid at all 

 seasons whenever the condition of the hive will warrant 

 it. But there are those who have investigated farther, 

 and who give us another theory : that the eggs for the two 

 kinds of bees are produced separately, and that the queen 



