MANAGEMENT OF HONEY BEES. 69 
CHAPTER XT. 
THE DRONE BEE. 
‘Tue drones are larger than the others ; 
their heads are round, eyes full, and their 
tongues short, they are also much darker 
and differ in the form of the belly ; they 
have no sting and they make a greater noise 
in flying than the common Bees. The sole 
office of the male, or at least the primary 
one, is to pair with the queen. He is the fa- 
ther of the hive. Indolent and luxurious, 
he takes no part in the internal operations of 
the domicil, and never leaves it with a view 
of sharing in the labors of the field. When 
he does venture abroad, it is only in the fi- 
nest weather, and during the warmest part 
of the day, at which time the young queens 
are instinctively led to go out in search of 
the male. The life of the drone is extreme- 
ly short; the favored lover perishes soon 
after his union with the female, and thus an- 
