82 Longevity and Function of Drones. 



indicate a need of drones in the near future, will prevent their 

 destruction even in late autumn. 



The function of the drones is solely to impregnate the queen, 

 though when present they may add animal heat. Xhat tneir 

 nutrition is active, is suggested by the fact that, upon dissec- 

 tion, we always find their capacious stomachs filled with honey. 



Impregnation of the queen always takes place, as before 

 stated, while on the wing, outside the hive, usually during the 

 heat of a warm sunshiny day. After mating, the drone organs 

 adhere to the queen, and may be seen hanging to her for some 

 hours. The copulatory act is fatal to the drone. By holding 

 a drone in the hand, the ejection of the sex-organs is often 

 produced, and is always followed by immediate death. As the 

 queen only meets a single drone, and that only once, it might 

 be asked why nature was so improvident as to decree hundreds 

 of drones to an apiary or colony, whereas a score would suffice 

 as well. Nature takes cognizance of the importance of the 

 queen, and as she goes forth amidst the myriad dangers of the 

 outer world, it is safest and best that her stay abroad be not 

 protracted, that the experience be not repeated, and, especially, 

 that her meeting a drone be not delayed. Hence the super- 

 abundance of drones — especially under natural conditions, 

 isolated in forest homes, where ravenous birds are ever on the 

 alert for insect game— is most wise and provident. Nature is 

 never "penny wise and pound foolish." In our apiaries the 

 need is wanting, and the condition, as it exists in nature, is 

 not enforced. 



The fact that parthenogenesis prevails in the production of 

 the drones, has led to the theory that from a pure queen, 

 however mated, must ever come a pure drone. My own ex- 

 perience and observation, which I believe are those of all 

 apiarists, have confirmed this theory. Yet, if the impure 

 mating of our cows, horses, and fowls, renders the females of 

 mixed blood ever afterward, as is believed and taught by man v 

 who would seem most competent to judge — though I must 

 say I am somewhat skeptical in the matter, then we must 

 look closely as to our bees, for certainly, if a mammal, and 

 especially a- fowl, is tainted by impure mating, then we may 

 expect the same of insects. In fowls such influence, if it 

 exists, must come simply from the presence in the female 

 generative organs of the sperm-cells, or spermatozoa, and in 



