"So work the honey-bees; Creatures that, by a rule in Nature, teach The art of order to a peopled kingdom. They have a king and officers of sorts; Where some, like magistrates, correct at home; Others, like merchants, venture trade abroad; Others, like soldiers, armed in their stings, Make boot upon the Summer's velvet buds, Which pillage they, with merry march, bring home To the tent royal of their emperor: Who, busied in his majesty, surveys The singing masons building roofs of gold; The civil citizens kneading up the honey; The poor mechanic porters crowding in Their heavy burdens at his narrow gate; The sad-eyed justice, with his surly hum. Delivering o'er to executors pale The lazy, yawning drone." Shakspeare's _Henry V., Act I., Scene 2._ [Illustration] TABLE OF CONTENTS. Preface--Introductory 1 SECTION I. Natural History of the Inhabitants of the Hive 3 The Queen 4 The Drone 11 The Worker-bee 15 Eggs of Bees 16 Increase of Bees 18 Swarming 21 SECTION II. Anatomy and Physiology of the Bee 31 Head 34 Thorax, or Chest 40 Abdomen 44 SECTION III. Modern Bee-Hives. Nutt's Collateral Hive 50 Neighbour's Improved Single-Box Hive 62 Taylor's Amateur Shallow Box or Eight-bar Hive 65 Neighbour's Improved Cottage 68 Improved Cottage, without Windows 76 Ladies' Observatory or Crystal Bee-hive 77 Cottagers' Hive for taking Honey in Straw Caps without the Destruction of the Bees 80 Woodbury Bar and Frame Hives:--Wood 84 Straw 85 Glass 88 Frame 89 Improved Comb Bar 90 Compound Bar and Frame 91 Super and Cover 93 Taylor's Improved Cottage Hive 96 " Eight-Bar Straw 95 Neighbour's Unicomb Observatory Hive 97 Woodbury 102 Stewarton or Ayrshire Hive 109 Huber's Hive 118 SECTION IV. Exterior Arrangements and Apparatus.