BEE-KEEPER S MANUAL. 25 



are, in th& pursuit of their natural avocation. Tiie 

 sturdy iron-bound frames of the laborers of the adjacent 

 field had taken flight, long before the bees considered it 

 necessary to vacate the flowery hills and vales, as if 

 those iron frames were made of salt, while the little frail 

 bee, with her fragile silken wings, braved the tempest, 

 and bid defiance to the driving storm ! 



THE SEX OF WORKERS. 



Much diversity of opinion has been expressed, in re- 

 gard to the sex of workers, by naturalists and apiarians ; 

 and this is not the only question in dispute among them. 

 The natural history, physiology, and economy of the 

 honey bee, has perplexed and baffled more scientific 

 men in their attempts to unveil the secrets of their na- 

 ture, than any other subject whatever. As I before 

 stated, much that pertains to the bee, is beyond the pale 

 of man's knowledge ; and a thousand years hence, dark- 

 ness and mystery will hang over this subject, and man 

 will behold and wonder ; — but to fathom the secrets of 

 their intuitive wisdom, he never will be able. 



The reader may possibly ask, " what benefit is it to 

 know, whether the workers are males, females or neu- 

 ters, so long as we know sufficient to enable us to man- 

 age our bees with perfect success ?" 



Why, sir, so far as pecuniary advantage is concerned, 

 it is of no consequence to know many things concerning 

 the bee, that will occupy much of my attention in these 

 pages ; but there is a curiosity extant, that is not satis- 

 fied with any thing short of all the knowledge, touching 

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