THE WORKERS, 17 
about two months, even when not meeting with violent 
death at the hands of the workers, or by reason of their 
fulfilling the object of their existence, to wit, the impreg- 
nation of the young queen ; for the cohabiting drone im- 
mediately dies. When queen-rearing is done for the sea- 
son, the workers fall upon, and destroy them all. 
THE WORKERS. ey 
‘So work the honey-bees, 
Creatures that by a rule in nature, teach 
The art of order to a peopled kingdom.” 
These constitute the great bulk of every prosperous 
colony of bees. It is by their labors that the rich stores 
of honey are collected, the delicately wrought cells and 
systematically constructed combs are made, their tem- 
ple caulked and well plastered with propolis, the abun- 
dant collections of farina, or pollen, provided and stored 
away for food, and every want of the constantly matur- 
ing broods supplied. A guard of workers also attends the 
queen in her almost ceaseless rounds, feeding and watch- 
ff ing over her with sleepless vigilance, prepar- 
ae Ma ing the tiny cells for the reception of her eggs, 
re a capping over, at the proper time, these cra- 
ban) dles for their young, with thin scales of wax, 
y 7 elaborated from between their abdominal rings, 
—in short, (except the work of depositing 
eggs,) all the labor of the hive is carried on 
Fig. 6+ by them. When a young bee emerges from 
the cell, and the queen, passing along, refuses to place 
an egg therein, immediately, and without the least per- 
ceptible exchange of word or look of authority, by hint 
or deed, the industrious and provident workers set them- 
selves about repairing and fitting it up for another ten- 
*Abdomen of a worker magnified, showing scales of wax. 
gw 
