CHAPTER XIII. 



ORGANS OF THE DRONE. 



Function of the Drone — Description of Organs — 

 Production of Spermatozoa — Development of Drone 

 after Imago Condition is Assumed — Microscopic 

 Mounting and Staining — Spermatophore — Armor 

 Copulatrix — Eversion by Finger Pressure — Glove 

 Experiment — Extrusion of Spermatophore : how 

 Accomplished — Fertilisation in Confinement a 

 Failure — In-breeding Prevented — Survival of 

 the Fittest — Death of the Drone — The Queen 

 becomes Double Sexed — Parthenogenesis — Herm- 

 aphrodite Bees : Reason why so many are pro- 

 duced — Natural Selection — Drone Slaughter. 

 BEFORE entering upon a detailed examination of the 

 drone (Fig. 5), we should know something of the posi- 

 tion he has to occupy. The queen — whose egg-laying 

 powers have already come before us — on the wing, and 

 when a few days old, mates, but never again, however 

 much her life may be protracted. The drone at this 

 time gives a sufficient amount of fertilising material 

 to secure the individual impregnation of the multi- 

 tude of eggs afterwards to be laid. To enable him 

 to accomplish this, his organs are, in some respects, 



