nearly proved fo fatal to us, was refolved to be more particular in my care of it for the future.

(To be Continued.)

common, and which fome practise, thinking the other bees are not able to do it, is highly prejudicial to the profperity of a hive.

A moft fingular circumftance attending the generation of bees, is, that

of Bees.

(Continued from Page 526.) Of the Drone or Male Bee,

T

HE drone or male bee is very unlike any of the others,from which he may eafily be diftinguished; he is fomewhat fhorter in general, than the queen; though of a thicker and clumfier make. He is covered with a fort of down at the nether end, and is confiderably larger than the common working bee; and whenever he flies he makes a rougher and deeper found. The drones, however, are not all of one fize, for fome of them are much Imaller than others; they are not like the others, armed with a fling, therefore may be handled without fear. Five or fix hundred, or more, are often bred in one hive; they are not formed to collect either honey or wax, but feaft on the labours of the reft; leading a luxurious life of idleness and tove. But their pleafures with their lives are very short; for as they feldom appear before the middle of May, fo they are generally deftroyed, or expelled the hive, by the other bees before the month of Auguft, if the hive is ftrong. At this time, the breeding feafon being partly over, a moft cruel war is commenced against them; for as they contribute nothing to the winter fores, by their induftry, there fore, when they are no longer of any ufe, they are all deftroyed: even the young brood are dragged from their cells, and every veftige of drone is totally annihilated.

In weak hives they are fuffered to live longer, and the reafon is, not that the other bees are not able to drive them out, but that they find them neceffary in hatching the young brood, to which their additional warmth greatly contributes, being themselves but few in number. Therefore the cuftom of killing drones, when they are obferved to remain later than

one female, and they have been obferved to couple like other infe&s; yet that this fhould be to impregnate the ovaria for a future, not that present feafon, is exceedingly remarkable. In order to prove this, we need only obferve that bees begin to breed fo ear. ly as the month of February, fometimes fooner, and the drones are feldom feen before the beginning of May, and are always deftroyed before the following winter commences. la fhort, there is no drone hatched before the latter end of April or the beginning of May.

When the drones firft appear in the fpring, fwarms, from the fingle hives, may then foon be expected, if the weather be favourable. They feldom appear before eleven in the morning, and very few are ever seen afer fix in the evening. An exception to this rule is, when the bees are going to fwarm, which they fometimes do in very hot, fultry weather, fo early as eight o'clock in the morning, though very feldom; and part of the drones always attend the (warms.

Thofe hives that have the greatest number of drones generally turn out the moft fwarms: it shows they are poffeffed of the most prolific queens. Thefe in which are found no drones at all fhould either be immediately taken, or elfe united with fome other Rocks; for this circumftance shows that the bees have loft their gren, or elfe the is a barren one: in either cafe the bees can never profper. Whatever may have been faid that bees have been known to profper without any drones appearing; this for certain may be depended on, that thofe hives which breed no drones, breed no other fort of bees.

Of the Working Bee.

The working bees are much lefs in fize than the queen, or drone; they are armed with a fling, and are foon irritated to make use of it. They

may.

may, with fome propriety, be called mules, being of neither fex. These are the only labourers, and of this fort the hive or colony chießy confis. The working bees collect all the wax and honey, build the combs, guard the hive, &c. and are ever ready to facrifice their lives for the general good. And from all the obfervations I could ever make, there appears alto of thefe, a variety of species in every hive. Some feem to be formed to collect the honey, whilft others fearch the flowers for wax only; others again I obferve, never leave the hive, but feem as if conftantly employed in the various works within; fuch as building the comb, difburdening those that return from the fields, feeding the young brood, and guarding their treafures, &c. In short, they feem to be endued with a peculiar inflint, directing each one its different task; and that without a fufficient number of thefe in each department, no colony will prosper.

It has been thought that bees, all the winter months, are in a state of fleep, and inactivity; but this is very erroneous: They are then equally alive and active within the hive; and confume nearly as much provision as they do in fummer; except in very cold and fevere weather. Confequently the more fevere the winter proves, the greater quantity of ftores Yemain with the bees in fpring.

If any accident defroys the mother, or queen, the reft immediately ceafe to labour, and only live whilf their Hores remam; unless there is a profpect of a young one's being foon hatched,or anot. : can be given them from fome other hive. But as the giving them one from another hive will be attended with great trouble and difficulty, I would advise, when fach accident happens, always to unite

them with fome weak hive. The method of doing which will be found in the directions given for uniting (warms.

Although every good fwarm is Compofed of many thousands of bees Commonly between forty and fifty thoufand, yet fuca is their peculiar inftioft, that a fingle bee of any other hive fhall not obtrude himself, but he is infantly known, and feized on as robber.

Bees have, if I may be allowed the expreffion, a fort of language amongữ themselves, whereby they know each other's wants. This will be eally known to the most fuperficial oblerver, by giving the leaft attention to them, in building their combs, #Bloading the labourers, feeding each other, &c. They alfo fore-know storms; and will found an alarmy when any thing injurious approaches their habitation; and fuch fouces will be inftantly underfood, and anfwered by the whole hive. But not one of the leaft inflances of their fagacity is, a day or two before they iwarm the fecond or third time, when it should feem as if a fort of council were held, night and morn. ing, debating whether it will be for the general good that any more foold emigrate. If there are bees fufficient in the hive, to fpare fo many as will compose the caft, leave then is given to the young queen by the old one to lead a fecond or third fwarm. This may be readily known by her defcending to the bottom of the hive and fummoning her new fubjects by repeated calls, in a louder and more

thrill tone than what was used before. The next day the caft or fecond fwarm, &c. may be expected, if the weather be favourable. I leave is not obtained by the young queen, the is then facrificed to the peace of the commonwealth.

(To be Continued.)

Story of Venoni and Louifa. (From the MIRROR.) Ah, Vices! gilded by the rich and SHENSTONE. gay.

we examine impartially that ef timate of pleasure, which the higher ranks of fociety are apt to form, we fhall probably be furprised to Gud how little there is in it either of natural feeling or real fatisfaЯtion, Many a fashionable voluptuary, who has not totally blunted his talle or his judgment, will own, in the intervals of recollection, how often he has fuffered from the infipidity, or the paju of his enjoyments; and that, if

it were not for the fear of being laughed at, it were fometimes worth while, even on the score of pleasure, to be virtuous.

Sir Edward , to whom I had the pleasure of being introduced at Florence, was a chara&er much beyond that which diftinguishes the generality of English travellers of fortune. His flory was known to fome of his countrymen who then refided in Italy; from one of whom, who could now and then talk of fomething befide pictures and operas, I had a particular recital of it.

He had been firft abroad at an early period of life, foon after the death of his father had left him mafter of a very large eftate, which he had the good fortune to inherit, and all the inclination natural to youth to enjoy. Though always fumptuous, however, and fometimes profufe, he was obferved never to be ridiculous in his expences; and, though he was now and then talked of as a man of pleafure and diffipation he always left behind him more inftances of beneficence than of irregularity. For that refpe&t and efteem in which his chara&er, amidst all his little errors, was generally held, he was fup. pofed a good deal indebted to the fociety of a gentleman, who had been his companion at the university, and now attended him rather as a friend than a tutor. This gentleman was, unfortunately, feized at Marseilles with a lingering diforder, for which he was under the neceffity of taking a fea-voyage, leaving Sir Edward to profecute the remaining part of his intended tour alone.

Defcending into one of the valleys of Piedmont, where, notwithstanding the ruggedness of the road, Sir Edward, with a prejudice natural to his country, preferred the conveyance of an English hunter to that of an Italian mule, his horse unluckily made a falfe ftep, and fell with his rider to the ground, from which Sir Edward was lifted by his fervants with fcarce any figns of life. They conveyed him on a litter to the nearest house, which happened to be the dwelling of a peafant rather above the common rank, before whole door fome of his neighbouts were affembled at a fcene of Tural merriment, when the train

of Sir Edward brought up their master in the condition I have described. The compaffion natural to his fituation was excited in ail; but the owner of the manfion, whofe name was Venoni, was particularly moved with it. He applied himself immediately to the care of the ftranger, and with the affiftance of his daughter, who had left the dance fhe was engaged in, with great marks of agitation, foon reflored Sir Edward to fenfe and life. Venoni poffeffed fome little skill in furgery, and his daughter produced a book of receipts in medicine. Sir Edward, after being blooded, was put to bed and tended with every poffible care by his hoft and family. A confiderable degree of fever was the confequence of his accident; but after fome days it abated; and in little more than a week, he was able to join in the fociety of Venoni and his daughter.

He could not help expreffing fome fur prife at the appearance of refinement in the converfation of the latter, much beyond what her fituation feemed likely to confer. Her father accounted for it. She had received her education in the house of a lady, who happened to pifs through the valley and to take thelter in Venoni's cottage (for his houfe was but a better fort of cottage) the night of her birth. "When her mother died. "faid he," the Signora, whofe name " at her defire, we had given the child, "took her home to her own house; "there he was taught many things, "of which there is no need here; yet "The is not so proud of her learning "as to wish to leave her father in his "old age; and I hope foou to have "her fettled near me for life."

But Sir Edward had now an opportunity of knowing Louifa better than from the defcription of her father. Mufic and painting, in both of which arts he was a tolerable proficient, Sir Edward had ftudied with fuccefs. Louifa felt a fort of pleasure from her drawings, which they had never given, her before, when they were praised by Sir Edward; and the family concerts. of Venoni were very different from what they had formerly been, when once his gueft was fo far recovered as to be able to join in them. The flute

of

of Venoni excelled all the other mufic of the valley; his daughter's fute was much beyond it; Sir Edward's violin was finer than either. But his converfation with Louifa-it was that of a fuperior order of beings! fcience, tafte, fentiment!it was long fince Louifa had heard these founds; amid the ignorance of the valley, it was luxury to hear them; from Sr Edward, who was one of the most engaging figures lever faw, they were doubly delightful. In his Countenance, there was alfo an expreffion animated and interefting; his fickness had overcome fomewhat of the first, but greatly added to the power of the latter.

Louifa's was no lefs captivating---and Sir Edward had not feen it fo long without emotion. During his illnefs he thought this emotion but gratitude; and when it firft grew warmer,he checked it, from the thought of her fituation, and of the debt he owed her. But the fruggle was too ineffectual to overcome; and, of confequence, increafed his paffion. There was bot one way in which the pride of Sir Edward allowed of its being gratified. He fometimes thought of this as a bafe and unworthy one; but he was the fool of words which he had often de1p:fed, the five of manners he had often condemned. He at laft comproanifed matters with himfelf; he re. folved, if he could, to think no more of Louifi; at any rate, to think no Inore of the ties of gratitude, or the reftraints of virtue.

Lou fa, who trufted to both, now communicated to Sr Edward an important fecret. It was at the clofe of a piece of mufic, which they had been playing in the abfence of her father. She took up her lure, and rouched a Ittle wild nielancholy air, which the had compofed to the memory of her snother. "That," faid fh, nobody "ever heard except my father; I splay it fometimes when I am alone and in low fpirits I do not know how I came to think of it now; "yet I have fome reafon to be fad." Sir Edward preffed to know the ciufe; after fome befit it on the told it all. Her father had fixed on the fon of a reighbour, rich in poffeffions, but rude in manners, for her husband.

Againft this match he had always protefted as frongly, as a fenfe of duty, and the middels of her nature, would allow; but Venon was oblinately bent on the match, and the was wretched from the thoughts of it.--"To marry where one cannot love, "to mairy fuch a man, Sir Edward!"

It was an opportunity beyond his power of refifiance. Sir Edward preffed her hand; fad it would be profanation to think of fuch a marriage; praifed her beauty, extolled her virtues; and concluded, by fwearing, that he adored her. She heard him with unfufpe&ing pleafure, which her blushes could ill conceal. Sir Edward improved the favourable moment; talked of the aidency of his paffion, the infignificancy of ceremonies and forms, the inefficacy of legal engagements, the eternal duration of thofe dictated by love; and, in fine, mrged her going off with him, to crown both their days with happiness. Louifa farted at that propofal. She would have reproached him, but her. heart was not made for it; the could only weep.

They were interrupted by the ar rival of her father with his intended fon in law. He was juft fuch a man as Louifa had represented him, coarse, vulgar, and ignorant. But Venoni, though much above his neighbour in every thing but riches, looked on him as poorer men often look on the wealthy, and difcovered none of his imperfections. He took his daughter afide, told her he had brought her future husband, and that he intended they fhould be married in a week at fartheft."

Next morning Louifa was indifpofed, and kept her chamber. Sir Edward was now perfe&ly recovered. He was engaged to go out with VenoHi; but, before his departure, he took up his violin, and touched a few plaintive notes on it. They were beard by Louifa.

In the evening the wandered forth to indulge ber forrows alone. See had reached a fequeflered (pot, where fome poplars formed a thicket, on the banks of a little ftream that watered the valley. A nightingale was perched on one of them, and had already begun its accustomed fong. Louifa fat

down