174 ATr. Hunter's Observations on Bees . 
seem to be hastened to their end by the labourers. In 1791, 
as early as the 19th of June, I saw the labourers killing the 
males of a hive, or rather of a swarm, that had not yet swarmed, 
but was hanging out ; this, however, was out of the common 
course. They appear to be sensible of their fate, for they hurry 
in and out of the hive as quick as possible, seemingly with a 
view to avoid the labourers ; and we find them attacked by the 
labourers, who pinch them with their forceps, and when they 
are so hurt, and fatigued with attempts to make their escape, 
as not to be able to fly, they are thrown over on the ground, 
and left to die. That this is the fate of every male bee is easily 
ascertained, by examining every bee in the hive when killed for 
the honey, which is after this season; no male being then found 
in it. Bonnet supposes them starved to death, as he never saw 
wounds on them. In the course of a winter I have killed se- 
veral hives, some as late as April, and in such a way as to pre- 
serve every bee, and after examining every one entirely, I 
never perceived one male of any kind ; although it has been 
asserted there are two sizes of males, and that the small are 
preserved through the winter to impregnate the queen. 
Of the Labouring Bee . 
This class, for we cannot call it either sex, or species, is the 
largest in number of the whole community : there are thou- 
sands of them to one queen, and probably some hundreds to 
each male, as we shall see by and by. It is to be supposed they 
are the only bees which construct the whole hive, and that the 
queen has no other business but to lay the eggs : they are the 
only bees that bring in materials ; the only ones we observe 
