The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-12-22
CurlOsitIes Of Bees.

What we know as the queen-bee was
always with the ancients, in treating OF
bee.hives, called tho king, and was re-
garded as the absolute master Of the
community. They describe him, truly
enough, as being rs large as the com.
mon bee, more glittering in aspect, and
Csays Pliny, with tonch Of imagina-
tion) ION his brow glitters awhitish
spot, like a diAdem,"
The king is stingless. Modern science
regards this so.called king as mother
and monarch OF the hive. 1t is found
that she lives four years, and is hatched
from the egg in fourteen days; while
the workers require twenty.one days,
and the drones twenty-four. These
strange figures are part OF the mystery
attaching TO bees; but q still more curl
GUS fact connected with this point is,
that bees have the power at will Of de.
veloping common eggs into queen bees.
This is done by removing IN egg into
the royal cell, and feeding the little
grub with substance Of milky gela-
tinous appearance, known rs "royal
jelly" These facts have been ascer-
tainedIwithout doubt, though'what the
exact analysis OF this "royal Jelly" may
be is utterly unknown. The chief
function of the queen in the hive is to
lay eggs, from which the future popu-
lation will spring. A healthy queen,
during her life, Is estimated TO lay the
enormous number Of 100000 eggs ;
often in the heatof summer, for months
together, she will lay 1900 day.
Whether these eggs are oil alike, or
whether some are distinctly worker.eggs,
and others as distinctly drone.eggs,
is one OF the numerous questions on
which oil bee.keepers are at issue.
The working bees form the life and
prosperityo tho hive. To them belong
industry, labor, patience, ingenuity
in short, all the virtues OF the race
and while each one knows his own
duty, and does IL, the efforts Of all are
directed towards the veal Of the COM
munity.
Tho working bee never lives longer
than nine months they labor SO incos-
sanity, that 1t is supposed they never
sleep. The daily consumption and
waste OF large hive Of bees in summer
may be taken at two pounds Of honey /;
IL will show the industry Of the work
ing bees to bear in mind that, beyond
this, such hive in favorable weather
will often accumulate honey to the
amount OF four and six pounds daily.
Indeed, it is upon record that hive
once gained twenty pounds weight OF
it in two daysl It's curious that even
a wild hive OF bees can soon be taught
to recognize and refrain from attacking
people who approach them.
Within the nectaries OF many flowers
the bee finds the thin sweet juice
which We know as honey; but when
this is carried homo and deposited in
wax cells, It requires to DO swallowed
again by the bees, when 1t undergoCs
a tliickening process, and becomes
honey proper. Honey gathered almost
exclusively from one kind of plant or
flower acquires its special flavor. Thus
cloyer.honey is clear and pleasant both
10 the eye and palate, but that made
from sycamore and gooseberry flowers
far exceeds it.
Drones were anciently esteemed i'm
perfect bees-the slaves Of tho true
bees. They work but little, says the
great naturalist of old, but that little
and the heat they cause is useful in n
hive. II is now known that drones are
really the males OF the community, the
gay young bachelors that WOO the
queen when swarming-time arrives.
They have ever served morality as an
awful example to hold up to the young;
for they never think Of working, and II
is questioned whether, in the midst Of
plenty, they even take the trouble to
feed themselves. Certain 1t is, that
working bees have frequently been
seen feeding them, much as n bird sup
plies her gaping young ones. A suit
able Nemesis always pursues them
they arc, after time, thrust out Of the
hive to perish Of starvation, or else &c.
tually murdered. Stingless and lazy,
every one must have seen them before
winter, sitting torpidly on bough, or
feebly catching the last rays Of the
sun. Death Is then already laying his
hand on them.