THE MYSTERIES OF DRONE-PRODUCTION. 63 



tout the males have the same amount (one-half only). The 

 female progeny from the queen (a2) is the result of her mating 

 •with the second-named black drone — her consort ; but the males 

 are the result of the mating between the first-named black drone 

 and the queen (a). Again, let a perfect and complete female bee 

 —a queen (2 b) — also being an immediate and direct descendant 

 from the queen (6), mate with a full-oiood Italian drone. The 

 result of the contact is that all the female progeny have more 

 Italian blood in them (three-fourths) than their mother ; but the 

 males — the drones — have the same amount (one-half only) ; so it 

 .goes on with every succeeding generation. The female progeny 

 •of every queen is the result of /ier fecundation ; but her male 

 progeny is the result of the queen's mother's fecundation. Is 

 this a case of partial parthenogenesis — production without imme- 

 •diate fecundation ; or is it a case of atavism — a throwback ? 



Here is another peculiar thing in connection with the mys- 

 teries of drone production. Queen bees are what are termed per- 

 fect and complete. They are perfect as it regards their form, and 

 have their sexual organs fully developed — that is, procreatively 

 Teceptive. Working bees are perfect and incomplete. They are 

 perfect as it regards form; but their sexual organs are unde- 

 veloped — that is, they are procreatively non-receptive. 



Working in the Open. 



