2 PHYSIOLOGt OF THE HONEY-BEfi. 



3. The habitation provided for bees is called a hive. 

 The inside of a bee-hive shows a number of combs about 

 half-an-inch apart and suspended from its upper side. 

 These combs are formed of hexagonal cells of various sizes, 

 in which the bees raise their young and deposit their stores. 



4. In a family, or colony of bees, are found (Plate 11) — 

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



or mnther-bee. She is the only perfect female in the hive, 

 and all the eggs are laid by her ; 



2d, Many thousands of worker-bees, or incomplete females, 

 whose office is, while young, to take care of the brood and 

 do the inside work of the hive ; and when older, to go to 

 the fields and gather honey, pollen, water, and propolis or 

 bee-glue, for the needs of the colony ; and 



3d, At certain seasons of the year, some hundreds and 

 even thousands of large bees, called Drones, or male-bees, 

 whose sole function is to fertilize the young queens, or virgin 

 females. 



Before describing the differences that characterize each 

 of these three kinds, we will study the organs which, to a 

 greater or less extent, they possess in common, and which 

 are most prominently found in the main type, the worker- 

 bee. 



General Chaeacteristics. 



6. In bees, as in all insects, the frame-work or skeleton 

 that supports the body is not internal, as in mammals, but 

 mostly external. It is formed of a horny substance, scientif- 

 ically called chitine, and well described in the following 

 quotation : 



6. " Chitine is capable of being moulded into almost every 

 conceivable shape and appearance. It forms the hard back of 

 the repulsive cockroach, the beautiful scale-like feathers of the 

 gaudy butterfly, the delicate membrane which supports the lace- 



