224 THE HIVE AND HON-EY-BEE. 



the Pall. At this season, or as soon as forage fails, such 

 stocks may usually be detected by the incessant attempts 

 of other colonies to rob them. 



The neglect of a colony to expel its drones, when they 

 are destroyed ia other hives, is always a suspicious sign, 

 and generally an indication that it has no queen. Healthy 

 stocks almost always destroy the drones^ as soon as 

 forage becomes scarce. In the vicinity of Philadelphia, 

 there were only a few days in June, 1858,Avhen it did not 

 rain, and in that month the drones were destroyed in most 

 of the hives. When the weather became more propitious, 

 others were bred, to take their place. In seasons when 

 the honey-harvest has been abundant and long protracted, 

 I have known the drones to be retained, in Xorthem 

 Massachusetts, until the 1st of Ifovember. If bees could 

 gather honey and could swarm the whole year, the 

 drones would probably die a natural death. 



The imiDortance of preventing the over-production of 

 drones has been corroborated by the discovery of Mr. P. 

 J. Mahan, that those leaving the hive have quite a large 

 drop of honey in their stomachs — while those returning 

 from their pleasure excursions, having digested their 

 dinners, are prepared for a new supply.* 



"The drone," says quaint old Butler, "is a gross, sting- 

 less bee, that spendeth his time in gluttony and idleness. 

 For howsoever he brave it, with his round velvet ca"p, his 

 side gown, his full paunch, and his loud voice, yet is he 

 but an idle companion, living by the sweat of others' brows. 



* Aristotle (Elf tory of Animals, Book IX., Chap. XL), speaks of the irregular 

 and thiclc combs built ^y some stocks, and the superabundance of drones issuing 

 from them. He notices, also, the destruction of the dvones when bee-forage fails, 

 and describes their excursions as follows : — "The drones, when they go abroad, rise 

 into the air with a circular flight, as though to take violent exercise, and when they 

 have taken enough, return home, and gorge themselves with honey.^' Columella 

 says, that the proper time for remo-vlng the surplus honey is when the hoes expel 

 theidrones. 



