MANAGING BEES. 
S3 
she could enter the hive, and other insects of 
the fly tribe do copulate in the air, when on 
the wing, as I have lepeatedly seen. That 
the drone is the male bee, is probable from 
the fact that the drones are not all killed at 
once 5 but at least one in each hive is per- 
mitted to live several months after the gen- 
eral massacre. . 
I examined four swarms, whose colonies 
were strong and numerous, three months after 
the general massacre of the drones, and in 
three hives I found one drone each ; the other 
was probably overlooked, as the bees were 
thrown into the, fire as fast as they were 
examined. But there are many mysterious 
things concerning them, and much might be 
written, to little purpose; and as it is design- 
ed to go no further in illustrations than is ne- 
cessary to aid the apiarian in good manage- 
ment, many little speculations have, been 
entirely omitted in the work, and the reader 
is referred to the writings of Thatcher, Bon- 
ner, and Huber, who are the most volumin- 
ous and extensive writers on bees within my 
knowledge. 
6 * 
