All this will be readily conceded. But there are some apiarists who contend that there is, in every colony, a fourth kind — the black bees, uite as distinct as any of the others, and to which t ey ascribe the function of laying the drone-cg s. This seems plausi ble, too, for it is an undeniable act that bees do occur Wth are distinguished from the rest b their darker color; and the question can only be whet er the black ness of these bees is an accidental trait or constitutes a characteristic difference. Dr. Magerstedt contends that the color is constitutional, and enumerates besides not less than twelve other points of difference between these black bees and common workers. Thus, among other things, he alleges that these bees are black when they emer e from the brood-cells; that their proboscis is much 8 orter; that they have no corbicula on their thighs; that they have a smaller sting, and possess ovaries. It is hard to contend agains facts, if these be facts — which I cannot concede. Among the many thousands of youn bees which I have seen emerge from the brood-eel s, I never saw one come forth of any other color than a lightish grey. All the black bees I have ever observed in my apiary have probosci iles as long as others, corbicula as deep, and stings as arge.
