yo | THE HISTORY OF BEES. 
of viewing them at all feafons, not only when the boxes 
are full of Bees, but when almoft deftitute. ' 
But it is nothing new, when we are pinched with. an 
argument, and drove upon the horns, to have recourfe — 
to occult qualities, and occult opperations ; plain profef- 
fions of our ignorance. 
.. Again; if this principle be admitted, and we aia 
the Drones-to be the authors of fo prodigious an increafe, 
why have not thefe writers, who are counfel for the 
Drones, and fo zelaoufly plead their caufe, dignified and 
diftinguifhed them with proper titles and appellations? 
if they. are fully perfuaded in their own minds, anfwer- 
able to this their open publick profeflion, why have they 
treated them fo long thus unkindly and injurioafly, with- 
holden thofe.titles of honour from them, to which their 
character, the pofts they occupy, and the noble offices 
they difcharge, do fo sic and indifputably entitle 
them? . . 4 
_ Why muft the. female be bi sthcrt with ender and 
regal dignities, and all the enfigns of royalty; when at a 
the fame time the males are degraded; treated with the 
utmoft contempt, triumphed over, and trampled upon 
by the populace and commonality ; expelled and banifh- 
ed; and, in a word, flain without mercy? : 
How could an empire or a kingdom poffibly fubfift, 
in which there were (fuppofe) ten or twenty pretenders 
to the crown, all claiming the royal authority ?. in fuch 
cafe it would be no difficulty to foretel the fae of fuch 
a s heal 
| 1 thered 


