bee-keepbk's manual. 61 



drones said to die immediately aptee coition. 



A remarkable circumstance is said to occur to drones, 

 in their amours with the queen ; which is, that death 

 ensues immediately after coition ! Since it is impossible 

 that man should ever witness the act of connection be- 

 tween the drones and queens, it is a very difficult question 

 to determine, whether the drone dies immediately or not. 

 However, we have analogy, it is said, in some of the 

 insect tribes, to corroborate this alleged fact. 



THE GENERAL MASSACRE OF DRONES. 



The general or usual time that the massacre of the 

 drones takes place is, as I have already observed, in the 

 month of July. There may, however, be instances of 

 their being expelled in June, say the last of the month ; 

 and there may also be instances of their being allowed 

 to exist until August, before any expulsion takes place. 

 The time of massacre or expulsion is earlier or later,', 

 according to the latitude of the location of the apiary^. 

 For instance, the expulsion may take place in the lati- 

 tude of the city of New York, two weeks sooner than 

 in the latitude of Buffalo or Boston. 



Strange as it may appear, the manner in which the 

 extermination of drones is effected by the workers, is a 

 matter of contention among the apiarians and naturalists 

 of Europe. Some assert that the bees use their stings, 

 while others contend that the drones are simply disabled, 

 and then cast out of the hives. 



Huish says, — " It is the opinion of some naturalists, 



