BEARS— BEE-LICE. 505 



eventually, reap the fruits of their folly, when the caterpillars 

 weave their destroying webs over their leafless trees, and in- 

 sects of all kinds riot in glee on their blasted harvests. 



820. Tame chickens eat drones, but not workers. Once 

 we noticed a rooster seemingly eating bees at the entrance of 

 a hive. The bees were then killing their drones (193). On 

 approaching the hive, we saw him carefully pick out a drono 

 from among the bees, shake off a worker-bee which had clung 

 to him, and swallow the drone. Young drones can be fed to 

 chickens, who soon learn to eat them greedily, but if a 

 worker-bee is found among them they will shake their heads 

 at her, with a knowing look of disgust. Young ducks, if in- 

 sufficiently fed, will eat bees, and are often killed by being 

 stung while swallowing them. 



821. Other enemies. The toad is a well-known de- 

 vourer of bees. Sitting, towards evening, under a hive, he 

 will sweep into his mouth, with his swiftly-darting tongue, 

 many a late-returning bee, as it falls, heavily laden, to the 

 ground; but as he is also a diligent consumer of various in- 

 jurious insects, he can plead equal immunity with the in- 

 sectivorous birds. 



It may seem amazing that birds and toads can swallow 

 bees without being stung to death. They seldom, however, 

 meddle with any, except those returning fully laden to their 

 hives, or such as, being away from home, are indisposed to 

 resent an injurj'. As they are usually swallowed without 

 being crushed, they do not instinctively thrust out their 

 stings, and before they can recover from, their surprise, they 

 are safely entombed. 



822. Bears are exceedingly fond of honey; and in coun- 

 tries where they abound, great precautions are needed to 

 prevent them from destroying the hives. 



In that quaint but admirably common-sense work, entitled, 

 "The Feminine Monarchie, written out of Experience, by 

 Charles Butler; printed in the year 1609," we have an amus- 

 ing adventure, related by a Muscovite ambassador to Rome : 



