io8  Mr.  polhill  on  the 
appeared  to  be  dedfive,  yet,  as  the  whole  depended  on 
his  veracity,  I could  not  be  fadsfied  without  making  him 
a vifit.  I found  him  modeft,  fenfible,  and  communica- 
tive, and  have  had  as  much  ocular  proof  as  the  feafon 
of  the  year  would  admit.  In  fiiiort,  I am  convinced  of 
the  fiict,  but  not  lefs  at  a lofs  to  account  for  it. 
The  next  difeovery  is  the  ufe  of  the  drones : every  one 
who  has  written  on  the  i abject  has  given  fome  opinion 
concerning  them,  but  all  very  unfatisfactory.  Many  have 
acknowledged  their  ignorance ; and  fome  have  abiblutely 
pronounced  them  ufelefs,  and  recommended  their  being 
deftroyed,  to  prevent  an  unncceffary  wafte  of  honey : 
even  butler,  in  his  Feminine  Monarchy,  or  Il'iltory 
of  Bees,  which  he  calls  a book  written  from  experience, 
deferibes  a drone-trap,  which  he  recommends  to  be  ufed 
for  that  purpofe:  and  it  is  at  this  time  fo  general  an  opi- 
nion amongft  the  bee-mafters  in  this  kingdom,  that  I am 
perfuaded,  nothing  but  the  trouble  and  difficulty  of 
catching  them  prevents  many  from  ruining  their  hocks 
of  bees  by  this  means : I fpeak  now  from  knowledge ; 
fome  years  fince  I loft  a ftrong  colony  by  giving  tbs  ex- 
periment a fair  trial. 
I can  alfo  confirm  his  account  of  the  exifience  of 
drones  no  larger  than  the  common  bees,  having  by 
5 accident 
