322 
BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 
between the race of the mother and that of the father; 
it seems, therefore, idle to assert that the drone gives 
colour, size, and temper, the queen working qualities, 
and so on. The prepotency of both parents is seen in 
various individuals, for reasons which are at present 
beyond our knowledge. But it is not fully true that 
the drone is beyond our control. We may secure his 
presence in the colonies of our selection abnormally 
early in the year, as already explained, or we may delay 
our queen-production till drones in stocks possessing 
queens have been killed, in both ways giving to those 
of our choice a field cleared of rivals. We obtain 
drones late by transferring to queenless stocks combs 
of eggs, so long as our drone-raising queen can be 
induced, by feeding and nursing, to lay in drone-cells 
given in the middle of her brood-nest. 
But, beyond this, we may secure impregnation at 
a period of the day when all but our selected drones 
are at rest at home. Our nucleus, when the queen is | 
five or six days old, is closed up with due precaution, | 
and carried to a dark, cool room, and kept till the ) 
afternoon of the second day, when heated, diluted j 
honey is given, and, so soon as the drone wing is no ( 
longer heard, the hive is restored to its stand in the | 
full sunlight, and the bees liberated. The excitement j 
set up will bring forth queen and drones (the drones j 
may with advantage be in a second nucleus), and our j 
object will probably be secured. Should we fail, 
another attempt must be made. The evidence of our i 
success is borne by the queen’s body, as described at | 
page 207, \o\. I. I, 
The anticipations that some advanced men amongst ii 
1 
