or the beginning of May; they venture out of the hive
only in warm weather, and then only in the middle of the day, and they
are generally expelled by the bees from the hives about July or August,
after the impregnation of the young queens has taken place.

When the destruction of the drones takes place earlier, it may be
considered a certain indication that no swarming will take place during
that season; but the retention of the drones after August, is a very bad
sign, as the swarm must certainly perish in the winter, unless their
vacant throne is supplied with a prolific queen.

The _neuter_ or _worker-bee_, is the least of the three, and of a dark
brown colour; the abdomen is conical, and composed of six distinct
segments, and armed with a straight sting; it possesses a long flexible
trunk, known by the name of a proboscis, and has on its two hinder legs
a hollow or basket, to receive the propolis and farina which it collects
as before described.

The number of workers in a well-stocked hive is about fifteen thousand
or twenty thousand. Upon them devolves the whole care and labour of the
colony, to collect pollen, propolis, and honey; to build the combs and
to attend upon the brood or young bees.

The _worker-bee_ is short-lived, seldom surviving more than a year, but
this is more from the toil they have to endure, though it be a labour
of love, and the many risks they run upon each occasion of going out in
search of food, &c., from the weather, or their numerous winged enemies.

"Sunt quibus ad portas cecidit custodia sorti:
Inque vicem speculantur aquas et nubila coeli,
Aut onera accipiunt venientum, aut agmine facto
Ignavum fucos pecus a praesepibus arcent.
Fervet opus, redolentque thymo fragrantia mella."

LONDON:
Printed by S. & J. BENTLEY, WILSON, and FLEY,
Bangor House, Shoe Lane.

* * * * *

Transcribers notes:

A page of Errata appearing here has been applied to the text and
removed.

Inconsistency in the hyphenation of phrases has been retained.

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A DESCRIPTION OF THE
BAR-AND-FRAME-HIVE***

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