Life History and Structure of the Bee. 13 



than the worker bee. In shape she is something like 

 the worker, but is more beautiful and genteel than 

 either. Her abdomen is long and gradually tapers to 

 a point, and she is so different in appearance to the 

 other bees that she can readily be distinguished in a 

 hive. She is the mother of all in the hive, and on her 

 existence depends the prosperity of the hive. If 

 from any cause a hive loses its queen, and there is no 

 chance of procuring another, all industry departs, and 

 the bees become discontented and miserable, and 



Queen. Worker. Drone. 



soon die out. A queen bee may live four to five 

 years, but it is better that it should be superseded 

 quite by the end of the third year, as their laying 

 powers decrease after that time. They are generally 

 supposed to be at their best during their second year 

 of life. Queens are fourteen days in being hatched ; 

 that is to say, perfect queens are produced on the 

 fourteenth day after eggs have been put into royal 

 cells. Only fourteen days are required to develop a 

 princess of the blood royal, while it takes twenty-one 



