68. Account of the Drone Bee. 
The drones are, by almoft all writers reckon- 
ed the males, (See p. 62,), and are fo ftiled by 
moft authors ; but for my part I neither know 
what to call them, nor of what ufe they are, 
although I have often thought upon the fub- | 
jet, yet I cannot be fatisfied with any theory 
I ever heard of. Various conjectures have 
been made with refpect to their ufe. Although 
almoft all agree that they are the males, and | 
couple with the Queen ; yet they acknowledge 
that they never {aw an inftance of anyone of them 
in the act with her. It is furely wonderful, if 
the drones are the males, that they fhould have 
efcaped the prying eyes of philofophers in all 
ages, whereas, almoft every eye has detected 
{maller infects i in the act. 
SwAMMERDAM, fenfible of this, to foes 
him(elf, flies to that falfe refuge, that the Jel 
of the drones an{wers the fame end as copula- 
tion. Others fay, that their heat is neceflary 
for hatching the young, bees. But this ar- 
gument has no weight. with me; as bee-hives 
have moft part of their bees bred, and are well 
nigh fwarming, before any number of drones 
appear in the ve Befides, by the time that 
they become numerous, fo as their heat might 
do good in that refpect, the heat is generally 
fo 
