Bee

the common name given to a large family of hymenopterous or membranous-winged insects, of whicb the most important is the common hive or honey bee (apis mellific a). It be longs to the warmer parts of the Eastern Hemisphere, but is now naturalized in the Western. A hive commonly consists of one mother or queen, from 600 to 800 males or drones, and ete ete DRONE BEE. from 15,000 to 20,000 working bees, formerly termed neuters, but now known to be imperfectly developed females. ‘The last mentioned, the smallest, have twelve Joints to their antenne, and six abdominal rings, and are provided with a sting; there is, on the outside of the hind legs, a smooth hollow, edged with hairs, called the basket, in which the kneaded a ee o! bee bread, the food of the larve, is QUEEN BEE. stored for transit. The queen has the same characteristics, but is of large1 size, especially in the abdomen; she has also a sting. The males, or drones, differ from both the preceding by having 138 joints to the antenne; a rounded head with larger eyes, elongated and united at the summit; and no stings. The queen has two large ovaries, consisting of a great number of small.cavities, each containing 16 or 17 eggs. The inferior half-circles, except the first and last, on the abdomen of working bees, have each on their inner surface two cavities, where the wax secreted by the bee from its saccharine food, is formed in layers, and comes out from between the abdomina! rings. Respiration takes place WORKER BEE. by means of air tubes which branch out to all parts of the body, the bee being exceedingly sensitive to an impure atmosphere. Of the organs of sense the most important are the antenne, deprivation of these resulting in a species of derangement..The majority of entomologists regard their function as in the first place auditory, but they are exceedingly sensitive to tactual impre ions, and are apparently the principal’ means of mutual communication.