The observations upon the queen bee needful to verify the above-mentioned facts can only be made in hives constructed for the purpose, of which the "Unicomb Observatory Hive" is the best. In ordinary hives the queen is scarcely ever to be seen; where there are several rows of comb she invariably keeps between them, both for warmth and for greater security from danger. The writer has frequently observed in stocks which have unfortunately died, that the queen was one of the last to expire; and she is always more difficult to gain possession of than other bees, being by instinct taught that she is indispensable to the welfare of the colony. The queen enjoys a far longer life than any of her subjects, her age very often extending to four or even five years; her fertility will, however, except in rare cases, have left her long before that term, or she will lay only drone eggs, so that as a general rule a substitute is better found for her when she has entered her third year. Under the next section, and those on "Reproductive Economy" and "Relation of Sex to Cells," as well as in Chapter IV. under "Queen Cages," will be found other information connected with the queen. § III. THE DRONE. The drones are the male bees; they possess no sting, are larger and more hairy than the workers, and may be easily distinguished by their heavy motion, thick-set form, and louder humming. They have a strong odour, which becomes very noticeable if several of them are confined in a box. Evans thus describes the drones:-- "But now, when April smiles through many a tear, And the bright Bull receives the rolling year, Another tribe, to different fates assigned, In ampler cells their giant limbs confined, Burst through the yielding wax, and wheel around On heavier wing, and hum a deeper sound. No sharpened sting they boast; yet, buzzing loud, Before the hive, in threatening circles, crowd The unwieldy drones. Their short proboscis sips No luscious nectar from the wild thyme's lips; From the lime's leaf no amber drops they steal, Nor bear their grooveless thighs the foodful meal; On others' toils, in pampered leisure, thrive The lazy fathers of the industrious hive. Yet oft, we're told, these seeming idlers share The pleasing duties of parental care, With fond attention guard each genial cell, And watch the embryo, bursting from its shell."