186 
THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
which hare been extracted are full again ; but 
the nights being cold now, the honey is too 
sticky for extracting. On the 10th May we had 
a very warm day and consequently I held an 
inspection. When I came to one of my best 
Italian hives, I saw drones flying and was taken 
aback, as I well knew the hive was not queen- 
less ; but I at once removed the cover to ascer- 
tain the cause. Now, Mr. Editor, I should like 
to ask a question: Do bees ever make amistake ? 
This hive of mine certainly has made one. They 
have taken the fine autumn season for a second 
spring. When I had removed the quilt and 
lifted out the frames one by one, I found every- 
thing in the most perfect order, every frame 
full of brood, plenty of honey, plenty of new 
laid eggs, brood in every state of development, 
capped drone cells, new drones emerging, and 
queen cells about five days commenced. Now 
I am curious to know what they mean ; will 
they really swarm or not, if so, I shall not 
hinder them, for I give them plenty of stores 
that they may get through the winter. But I 
do not- think they will venture out now ; if 
they do, I will let you know the result. 
H. Naveau. 
Hamilton, May 15, 1888. 
lErtvacts from foreujn Journals. 
THE DEONE. 
OUR POOR, SLANDERED DRONE ASKS FOR HIS 
DAY IN COURT. 
Written for the American Bee Journal 
BY REV. L. L. LANGSTROTH. 
Virgil, wlio was a great, poet, but not 
enough of a practical bee-keeper to know a 
laying from a virgin queen, was the first 
writer of much note, to have his fling at me. 
To him I was only an idle knave, born to con- 
sume the fruits of others’ labors, and deserv- 
ing no better fate than death, by ignominious 
expulsion from the industrious Commonwealth. 
Ever since he so grossly libelled me, to com- 
pare one to a drone, is the most orthodox form 
of denunciation for laziness, gluttony, and 
what has been called * general cussedness.’ ” 
Now 1 am proud to say to this Court, that I 
can disprove every charge brought against me, 
by simply proving, that to the best of my 
ability I fulfil the express object for which I 
was born. Surely no creature can do any 
better than this, and excuse me for thinking 
that few men do as well. 
CHARGED WITH LAZINESS. 
If any of my enemies had authority to call 
the roll of my demerits, he would surely begin 
by accusing me of being too lazy to gather any 
honey. But au expert in points of this kind 
could remind him, that if he examines my 
proboscis, lie will see that it is much too short 
for sipping nectar from the opening flowers. 
MAKES NO WAX. 
I am free to admit that I make no wax, but 
even Cheshire himself, whose microscopes 
have fairly turned me inside-out, will tell you 
that I have not a single wax- secreting gland, 
and am also without those plastic, trowel-like 
jaws which enable the w'orker-bees to mould 
the wax into such delicate combs. 
GATHERS NO POLLEN. 
Now do not insinuate, that I might at least 
employ some of my leisure time in gathering 
pollen ! Can you not see that my thighs have 
no basket-like grooves, in which it could be 
packed — and are quite destitute of the hairy 
bristles by which the workers hold the pollen 
iu place ? 
ACCUSED OF BEING A LAZY COWARD. 
No doubt you have often denounced me as a 
big, hulking coward, that leaves to the women, 
the whole defence of the State. Are you not 
aware that I have no sting to fit me for acting 
on the offensive ? Would that had one pro- 
portioned to my bulk ! if only that I might 
make proof of it, upon all who berate me for 
not accomplishing impossibilities ! 
I am not at all ashamed to admit that I 
spend the most of my time, not given to eat- 
ing, either in sleeping, or in what you are 
pleased to call, listless moping about the hive. 
Has it never occurred to you, that if I should 
try to assume the restless activity of a worker- 
bee, I could be nothing better than a meddle- 
some busy-body, perpetually interfering with 
the necessary business routine ? I guess the 
silly meddler who would put me up to such 
nonsense, ought more than once to have had a 
dish-cloth pinned to his rear, to teach him not 
to bother the women in their work ! 
MISUNDERSTOOD. 
I am sorry to number Shakespeare among 
those who have misconceived me, by calling 
me “ the lazy, yawning drone ” — but as one of 
my maligner® has likened me to Falstaff, I 
may be allowed to quote in my own defence, 
wliat this great braggart, when accused of 
cowardice, says of himself to the Prince: 
“ Was it for me to kill the heir apparent? 
Why, thou knowest I am as valiant as Her- 
cules; but beware instinct ; the lion will not 
touch the true prince. Instinct is a great 
matter, I was a coward on instinct. I shall 
think the better of myself and thee during my 
life. I for a valiant lion, and thou for a true 
prince.” I lie not, like the false knight, when 
r say, that what you call my laziness, is a 
matter of pure instinct. 
With all your boasted reason, you seem to 
have entirely overlooked the doctrine of the 
conservation of forces. You upbraid me with 
consuming so much of the precious honey, to 
the gathering of which I contribute nothing ! 
Well ! if I made a single uncalled-for motion, 
would not that necessitate an extra consump- 
tion of food ? What better can I do, then, 
than to keep as quite as possible ? There is 
nothing either inside or outside of the hive 
