422 
BEE. 
preserved through the winter to impregnate the 
queen.” 
Of the three sorts of bees which inhabit a hive, 
it now only remains for us to notice the la,bouiers f 
which are by far the most common, and cannot be 
said to belong to either sex. These form the popu- 
lace, and are charged with all the work. There 
are many thousands of them to one queen, and 
probably some hundreds to one male. They are 
supposed to be the only bees that are concerned in 
constructing the hive and providing the stores. 
They are busy abroad, and industrious at home ; to 
them, in short, is left the care and management of 
the whole, while the queen s only concern is to lay 
her eggs, and the males to walk about and observe 
the rest. They are smaller than the other bees, 
and some amongst them are less than others. If 
we compare them with the queen, a great resem- 
blance will be found to exist ; so great indeed, that 
Mr. Hunter says, “ one might suppose that they 
were only young queens, and that they became 
queens after a certain age ; but this is not the case.” 
Being furnished with stings, and of a very irritable 
disposition, it is hardly safe to approach too near 
them, as they will sometimes fly to the attack at 
once, and, where they are provoked, they always 
sting. It is a circumstance no less singular than 
true, that Nature should have provided them with an 
active means of defence, and yet should have de- 
nied them the use of it with impunity. Whenever 
