128 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATURAL [April, 1887. 
do not take it upon themselves to determine the fate of their 
less happily conditioned brothers and undeveloped relatives; but 
that when the time comes for the dissolution of the hive, the 
males and larva' are deserted and soon die of hunger. 
Nest No. 7 (V. maculata) was opened on August 31st. It was 
a rather small nest, under the eaves of the boat-house. We 
found that all the cells were empty (the larvae had probably ma¬ 
tured) and that the hive was deserted by all the inhabitants 
excepting 46 males. These looked lean and hungry. When we 
et them go they appeared perfectly bewildered and helpless, and 
Rfter a short flight many of them dropped to the ground and 
seemed not to know what to do with themselves. 
0a September 5th we took a very small nest (No. 8 V. macu- 
ata) from a cedar tree in a ravine. The workers and queens had 
i ’ ° n y mnete ? n maIes and a fe ' v pup* remaining behind ; the 
latter were uninjured. 
Septe “ ber Wtt »-e opened a very large net* (No. 9, V. 
buTwte f ‘ho queens were gene, 
„ ‘ Z l u °” e hnndrei1 lmd *»»'<» »nd .l*o‘ !»If 
"“P 8 , ““ d *°S fron, the effects of the cold 
but a nmnber ° f th -* had e „„ ugh , Ml , 
nuted f,f h T T ft q, '“ ns 1,nd ' d <*ubtloss, been in.pr.g- 
“,nd“If; ”tf hnd ‘. hen Ported by mo8t „f lhe fd, 
indeed ^ ‘ h “‘ “ “*<* « 
Of the males wander so ° ‘ Ummated inside the hive, many 
way back. 6 ° *“ ^ h ° me tha * they never find their 
We are unable to find arv nntn 
Romanes that the drones are killed , ^ for the ^sumption of 
% implies that they are not killed £ ^ 
ful whether any of the males survive the 8 ^ “ d ° Ubt ' 
m a paper by Messrs. Riley and Walsh \ ’ 
mologist, Vol. I, page 140 we find tl' h ? ^ Aniencan Ent0_ 
as the cold weather commences the ° S . atement that “ as soon 
’ rn ales and the workers all 
