62 miner's AMERICAN 



that the bee kills the drone by means of its sting, but in 

 the many hundred times that we have witnessed the 

 destruction of drones, we never yet observed that the 

 bee made use of its sting." 



Huber is an advocate of their being stung to death ; 

 he says : — " On the 4th of July, we saw the workers 

 actually massacre the males in six swarms, at the same 

 hour, and with the same peculiarities. The glass table was 

 covered with bees full of animation, rushing upon the 

 drones as they came from the bottom of the hive ; they 

 seized them by the antennae, the limbs, and the wings, 

 and after having dragged them about, or, so to speak, 

 after quartering them, they killed them by repeated sting- 

 ings directed between the rings of the belly." 



The truth is, that both the way of Huish and also that 

 of Huber, is practised by the bees. In some instances, 

 I have noticed that scarcely any were stung, but the 

 bees cut the cords of their wings, and then expelled them 

 from the hives. Drones that have been treated in this 

 manner, may be seen running to and fro upon the 

 ground, every now and then making a fruitless attempt 

 to rise on the wing. On other occasions, when the pa- 

 tience of the workers has become exhausted, they seize 

 the drones, and curving their abdomen in close contact 

 with their bellies, continue to make their deadly thrusts, 

 between the wings, until successful. In this case, the 

 drones may be seen running around the hive, upon the 

 ■"stand, carrying the workers along with them, which never 

 give up their hold until their object is effected. Th& 

 workers do seem to have some mercy at times, for long 



