10 
A BRIEF HISTORY. 
She is nearly destitute of down, or hairs; a very little 
may be seen about her head and trunk. This gives 
her a dark, shining appearance, on the upper side — 
some are nearly black. Her legs are somewhat longer 
than those of a worker ; the two posterior ones, and 
the under surface, are often of a bright copper color. 
In some of them a yellow stripe nearly encircles the 
abdomen at the joints, and meets on the back. Her 
wings are about the same as the workers, but as her 
abdomen is much longer, they only reach about two- 
thirds the length of it. For the first few days after 
leaving the cell, her size is much less than after she 
has assumed her maternal duties. She seldom, per- 
haps never, leaves the hive, except when leading a 
swarm, and when but a few days old, to meet the 
drones, in the air, for the purpose of fecundation. 
The manner of the queen’s impregnation is yet a dis- 
puted point, and probably never witnessed by any 
one. The majority of close, observers, I believe, are 
of opinion that the drones arc the males, and that 
sexual connection takes place in the air,* performing 
their amours while on the wing, like the humble-bee 
and some other insects. It appears that one impreg- 
nation is operative during her life, as old queens are 
not afterwards seen coming out for that purpose. 
DESCRIPTION AND DUTY OF WORKERS. 
As all labor devolves on the workers, they are pro- 
* The objectors to this hypothesis will be generally found among 
those who are unable ty give a more plausible elucidation. Those 
who oppose the fact that one bee is the mother of the whole family, 
will probably be in the same class. 
