THE BEE. 69 



nothing (so far as we know) but add to its numbers, 

 yet, should she be accidentally or designedly removed, 

 anarchy at once reigns in the hive ; and if at such a 

 junctixre there be not one of the royal family on the 

 way from larvahood, the constitutional Bees at once 

 proceed by a wonderful instinct, and a remarkable 

 artificial contrivance, to manufacture a fresh head for 

 the state. 



Of the drones little is known, for they rarely leave 

 the hive excepting to accompany the queen on her 

 wedding tour, and the sole object for which such 

 numbers are produced would appear to be, in order 

 that there may be sufficient to ensure for the queen 

 a suitable consort. 



As, however, there has been so little opportunity 

 of investigatiag their habits, we must not be so un- 

 charitable as to suppose that their life is one of com- 

 plete apathy, or that these beaux amuse themselves 

 by parading the Broadways of the hive, and flirting 

 with the worker-ladies. It is probable that both 

 male and female leave such frivolous pursuits to su- 

 perior beings, who can afford thus to waste their time, 

 for we know that the workers at least are inces- 

 santly employed in their iadustrial pursuits, and very 

 likely the drones, too, have some post allotted to 

 them. Whatever may be their duties, the services 

 of the latter are lightly appreciated by the rest of the 

 community ; for, although they are allowed to remain 

 unmolested in the hive during the summer months 

 whilst food is plentiful, and a certain number ac- 



