C 547 ] 
February or March ; it is therefore neceffary that 
fhe fhould have a great Store of Male Sperm within 
her, to impregnate all the Eggs lhe lays from that 
time, until June or July, when young Drones or 
Males arc hatch’d, who are not defigned for her Ufe, 
but for the young Queens, who go off with the 
Swarms, or for the young Queen who fucceeds the old 
one in the old Hive j fince the Drones arc great Feeders, 
and no Workers; and are of no Ufe, but to give a fuf- 
cient Store of Sperm to the Mother-Bee ; as the work- 
ing Bees have fo many Enemies to deprive them of their 
Store, they can’t be maintain’d during the Winter, 
even if their Life (hould laft fo long; and as it is pro- 
bable each Male has but one Ad of Coition with 
the Queen, as they arc fo cold, and take fo much 
carefling before they ad, and, by M. Reaumur’s 
Obfervation, die foon after the Ad is over, when, 
probably, their whole Store of Sperm is exhaufted 
in that Ad, as foon as the Queen has got as much 
Sperm lodg’d in the proper Refervoir, as is fufficient 
to impregnate all her future Eggs, the Males arc 
no longer of Ufe; and ifthofe who hayeaded, die, 
thofe who have nor, being of no further Ufe, are 
killed by the working Bee, out of Oeconomy to 
fave their Winter Store, when, probably, by Nature 
they could live but few Days more ; as we find the 
Silk-worm Moth dies foon after the Eggs are laid, 
as well Males as Females. It feems therefore necef- 
fary that the Queen fhould breed fo many Males, as, 
by one Ad of Coition from each, may impregnate 
all her Eggs, and that the working Bee fhould dif- 
patchthem, as foon as that is over, and a Store is lodg’d. 
A a a a There 
