“4 THE HISTORY OF BEES. 
out by the commons perifh without doors, as is eafy to 
obferve in or about your apiary, and adjacent parts. 
How defective this author’s acquaintance was with our 
infe&ts appears by thefe inftances, befides many more, 
To return to the argument. 
_ That thefe infects fhould continue ina ftate of preg- 
nancy for fo many months, and then produce young, 
and feveral broods fucceflively, one after another, and 
this without the prefence and concurrence of the male, 
is to me (I profefs) a myftery, unaccountable and un- 
intelligible ; not to fay impoffible. Since fo many ge- 
nerations are bred before the Drones do appear, it is not 
poffible they fhould be either males or females. — 
- That fuch an impofibility may more fully appear, 
and fo give the argument the greater firength and force, 
I remark, that to my own certain knowledge, the Bees 
fometimes breed all the fummer feafon without Drones. 
Several poor and week ftocks, which have but few Bees, 
and but little honey, have not any Drones among them 
all the feafon ; and yet thefe fhall encreafe, profper, and 
breed Drones the following fummer. 
This is what I have many times obferved, know it by 
my own experience to be true in fact, and as fuch I pub- 
lifh it to the world, and for proof, I will give my readers 
only one inftance inftead of a multitude. 
Once I had a ftock of Bees, which not only bred 
great numbers all the f{pring-time, but alfo {warmed 
‘without any Drones, as I was fully aflured from the 
smoft ftri&t and conftant obfervation. Had there been 
‘one fingle Drone in it, my eye or ear would certainly 
have difcovered him. The 
