Of the Killing of Drones. 181 
and their hive, that they permit the drones to 
live till November or December. And perhaps 
there is no {mall wifdom in this, for the bees, 
_ knowing that they cannot breed any more, are 
probably fenfible, that they will gain more by 
the additional heat of the drones preferving 
them from the feverity of the winter, than they 
will lofe by the expence of maintaining them ; 
and confequently lengthen out their own lives, 
as well as thofe of the drones. | 
This leads me to think, that the drones are 
not fo fhort-lived as is generally believed. If 
the working bees did not kill them in the end 
of fummer and beginning of harveft, but left 
them to die of old age, they might perhaps live 
in a good warm hive till fpring. The bees fel- 
dom begin to kill the drones, till the honey fea- 
fon be nearly over. When, therefore, the maf- 
facre of the drones begins, one may know that, 
in general, the honey is becoming rather {carce 
in their neighbourhood; although it is not an in 
fallible fign ; for the bees of fome hives kill their 
drones fooner than thofe of others, ftanding in 
the fame apiary. In hives fituated near early 
paftures, when the flowers are moftly gone, 
the bees will kill their drones in the end of 
July. In later fituations, they are permited to 
| live 
