Of their Sex, Bec, 73 
Thefe Drones make no appearance, nor do they exift 
till the hives are near filled with Bees, and the fwarms 
in great forwardnefs; but are expected ia a fhort time 
after thefe are feen. 
It is too evident to be contradicted or difputed, that 
the Drones are all expelled, and flain at the clofe of the 
preceeding fummer ; the latter end of July, orin Auguft, 
if the Sovereign is in fafety. Hence it follows, there can 
be no Drones in the hives for at leaft eight or nine 
months together, This is true in fact, as 1 have always 
found at the time of union, when not one Drone is to 
be feen. 
A modern author then was greatly miftaken,* when 
he tells his reader that a {mall number of thefe are left, 
a few of them referved, to fupply the neceffities of the 
enfuing year. Which circumftance (fays he) I the ra- 
ther take notice of, becaufe the Queen is pregnant a- 
gain in the fpring, tho’ the Drones that are amongft them 
are very little, if any larger than the common Bees, An- 
other of his numerous errors ! 
Then he tells you in the fame page, the poor Drones 
are expofed to the wide world; and their circumftances 
are doubtlefs very deplorable. In all probability they 
aflociate with the wild Bees. A wild notion! 
In fhort, it is a difficult matter to fay juftly what be- 
comes of them. Why fuch a difficulty? when every 
common Bee-mafter can eafily account for it; great 
numbers of them being flain, and often appear in heaps, 
before the hive or colony; and the reft of them forced 
. : , out 
9 Nat, Deliz.p. 9, ; 
