240 THE LORE OF THE HONEY-BEE 



midst of abundant honey. Thus the worker-bees 

 have him completely in their power. 



The first flight of the drones is a stirring event 

 in the bee-garden. The common sound of the 

 hives goes on practically the whole year through. 

 Every sunny midday, when the temperature 

 mounts to 45° or 50°, will see each hive the 

 centre of a little galaxy of singers : it is only the 

 volume of the music that varies with the waxing or 

 waning days. But with the coming of the drones 

 the whole symphony of the bee-garden abruptly 

 changes. They never move from their snug in- 

 door quarters until the day is wearing on towards 

 noon, and then only in the brightest weather. 

 Blundering aggressively through the crowd of busy 

 foragers, they rise heavily on the wing, and soon 

 the ordinary note of the garden is drowned in the 

 new uproar. They seem to come almost simulta- 

 neously from all hives at once. For a minute or 

 two the rich, hoarse melody holds the air; and then, 

 almost as suddenly, it dies away, as these royster- 

 ing ne'er-do-wells troop off over hill and dale, 

 each to his favourite hunting-ground. 



There is great divergence of opinion as to the 

 limits of flight of the drone, but probably he goes 

 farther and faster than any have yet credited. His 

 magnificent stretch and strength of wing mark him 

 for a flier. He is all brute force and lusty energy ; 

 and it would be strange if, with but one thing to 

 do in life — to gad about in search of amorous 



