THE DRONE AND HIS STORY 241 



adventure — he could not do it to a purpose. If a 

 hive of bees be removed to a distance in the height 

 of the season, some of both workers and drones are 

 sure to find their way back to the old spot. This 

 has constantly taken place when hives have been 

 carried no farther than two miles. But in one case, 

 when the distance was more than twice as much, 

 no workers were seen round the old hive-station, 

 yet a little company of drones was winging aim- 

 lessly about the tenantless stool, and there can be 

 little doubt that these belonged to the removed 

 colony. It is not suggested that they deliberately 

 travelled all these miles. The chances are that, in 

 their daily flight, they got so far away from the 

 new station that they came within the zone of old 

 landmarks, and thus naturally went on by the 

 long-accustomed ways. 



As a typical instance of a sluggard and idler, the 

 drone-bee has enjoyed a vogue in the preparatory- 

 school books for ages past. But, whatever his 

 primaeval equipment for usefulness may have been, 

 it is evident now that he could not labour if he 

 would. Physically, in all points but that of muscle, 

 as well as mentally, he has become degraded to the 

 inferior of the worker-bee in every way. He is 

 destitute of all those special contrivances with 

 which she is so amply furnished. He has no 

 baskets for pollen -carrying, nor any of the in- 

 genious brushes and combs which she uses to 

 scrape the pollen from herself and others. He has 

 16 



