NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONET BEE. 31 



endure even the ordinary chill of a cool Summer night. 

 If a strong colony is examined, a short time before it 

 swarms, three different kinds of bees will be found in the 

 hive. 



1st, A bee of peculiar shape, commonly called the Queen 

 Bee. 



2d, Some hundreds, more or less, of large bees called 

 Drones. 



3d, Many thousands of a smaller kind, called Workers 

 or common bees, and similar to those which are seen on the 

 blossoms. A large number of the cells will be found filled 

 with honey and bee-bread ; while vast numbers contain eggs, 

 and immature workers and drones. A few cells of unusual 

 size, are devoted to the rearing of young queens, and are 

 ordinarily to be found in a perfect condition, only in the 

 swarming season. 



The Queen Bee is the only perfect female in the hive, and 

 all the eggs are laid by her. The Drones are the males, and 

 the Workers aie females, whose ovaries or" egg-bags" are 

 so imperfectly developed that they are incapable of breed- 

 ing, and which retain the instinct of females, only so far as 

 to give ihe most devoted attention to rearing ihe brood. 



These facts have all been repeatedly demonstrated, and 

 are as well established as the most common facts in the 

 breeding of our domestic animals. The knowledge of them 

 in their most important bearings, is absolutely essential to all 

 who expect to realize large profits from any improved method 

 of rearing bees. Those who will not acquire the necessary 

 information, if they keep bees at all, should manage them in 

 the old-fashioned way, which requires the smallest amount of 

 knowledge and skill. 



I am perfectly aware how difficult it is to reason with a 

 large class of bee-keepers, some of whom have been so 



