186 Beekeeping 



At the time of copulation, the penis, which is previously 

 folded within the abdomen of the drone, is everted and pro- 

 jects into the vagina of the queen. The spermatozoa then 

 pass through the ejaculatory duct as does presumably also 

 the contents of the accessory mucous glands. The forma- 

 tion of the spermatozoa has been studied by Meves/ by 

 Mark and Copeland ^ and by Doncaster.^ 



The sudden expulsion of the penis causes the immediate 

 death of the drone. The structure of the penis may be 

 readily seen by gently squeezing the abdomen of a drone, 

 by which means it is everted. In this case also the drone 

 dies immediately so that his death at the time of mating 

 should not be attributed to any action of the queen. As has 

 been previously stated (p. 69), mating occurs in the air 

 outside the hive. 



Parthenogenesis. 



The chief reason why the reproductive processes require 

 extended discussion in a book on practical beekeeping is 

 because of the development of the drones or males from 

 unfertilized eggs. In most species, the sex cells disintegrate 

 unless they unite with the products of the opposite sex of the 

 same species, but there are numerous instances in the animal 

 kingdom in which egg cells are produced, which, without 

 fertilization, are able to develop into normal adults. To 

 this phenomenon the name parthenogenesis ■* is given. 



1 Meves, Fr., 1903. Ueber Richtungskorperbildung im Hoden von 

 Hymenopteren. Anat. Anz., XXIV, pp. 29-32. 



, 1907. Die Spermatocytenteilungen bei der Honigbiene {Apis 



mellifica L.) nebst Bemerkungen iiber Chromatinreduction. Arch. f. Microsk. 

 Anat. u. Entwick., LXX, pp. 414-491. 



2 Mark, E. L. and Copeland, Manton, 1907. Some stages in the sper- 

 matogenesis of the honey bee. Proc. Am. acad. arts and sciences, XLII, 

 pp. 103-111. 



' Doncaster, L., 1906. Spermatogenesis of the hive bee. Apis mellifica. 

 Anat. Anz., XXIX. 



, 1907. Spermatogenesis of the honey bee. Ibid., XXXI. 



* For a more extended discussion, see Phillips, E. P., 1903. A review 

 of parthenogenesis. Proc. Am. phUos. soc, XLII, No. 174, pp. 275-345. 



