418 
BEE. 
than that of the labouring bee, more like that of the 
male; however, the tongues of the labourers are not all 
of equal length, but none have it so short as the queen. 
“ The size of the belly of the female of such ani- 
mals varies a little, according to the condition they 
are in : but the belly of the male and the labourer 
has but little occasion to change its size, as they are 
at all times nearly in the same condition with regard 
to fat, having always plenty of provision : but the true 
female varies very considerably ; she is of a different 
size and shape in the summer to what she is in the 
winter ; and in the winter she has what may be 
called her natural size and shape : she is, upon the 
whole, rather thicker than the labourer ; and this 
•thickness is also in the bdly, which probably arises 
from the oviduct being in the winter pretty large. 
The termination of the belly is rather more peaked 
than in the labourers, the last scale being rather 
narrower from side to side, and coming more to a 
point at the end. The scales at this season are 
more overlapped; which can only be known by 
drawing them out. In the spring and summer she 
is more easily distinguished : the belly is not only 
thicker, but considerably longer than formerly; 
which arises from the increase of the eggs. We 
distinguish a queen from a working bee, simply by 
size, and in some degree by colour ; but this last 
is not so easily ascertained, because the difference 
in the colour is not so remarkable in the back, and 
the only view we can commonly get of her is on 
this part : but when a hive is killed, the best way 
