Of their Sex, 8c. | 72 
Thefe Drones make iio appearance, nor do they exift 
till the ‘hives are near filled with Bees, and the fwarms 
in great for wardnefs ; but are expedted i in a fhort time 
after thefe are feen. A ; 
It is too evident to be contradiGed or difputed, ‘that 
the Drones are all expelled, and flain at the clofe of the 
“preceeding fummer ; the latter end of Fuly, or in Auguft, 
if the Sovereign is in fafety. Hence it follows, there can 
be no Drones in the hives for at leaft eight or nine 
months together. This is true in fact, as I have always 
found at the time of union, when not one Drone i is | to 
be feen. 
A modern author set was greatly miftaken,* when 
he tells his reader that a {mall number of thefe are left, 
a few of them referved, to fupply the neceffities of the 
enfuing year. Which circumftance (fays he) I the ra- 
ther take notice of, becaufe the Queen is pregnant ae 
gain in the fpring. tho’ the Drones that are amongft them 
are very little, if any larger than the Panui Bees, An- 
other of his numerous errors ! ae 
Then he tells you in the fame page, the poor Drones , 
are expofed to the wide world ; and their circumftances 
are doubtlefs very deplorable. In all probability 9) 
affociate with the wild Bees. A wild notion! 
In fhort, it is a difficult matter to fay juftly what be- 
comes of them. Why fuch'a difficulty ? “when every 
common Bee-mafter can eafily account for it; “great 
numbers of them being flain, and often appear in heapé, 
before the RIVE or ‘ese 5 a the reft of them forced 
was “out 
ff 
~  @ Nat. Delt. p. 90% 
