Thus the ordinary hive contains (1) a single queen-bee--the fertile
female and mother of the next brood, (2) the males or drones, and (3)
the vast majority of workers or imperfectly developed females, which
only exceptionally become fertile. The working bees constitute
essentially the bee community; they are recognized by their small size,
reddish-brown color, and, above all, by the palettes and brushes with
which the hind legs are furnished.
The males, or drones, are larger and more hairy than the working bees;
they emit a buzzing sound, have no palettes, and no sting. The female,
or queen, has a longer body than the workers, and the wings shorter in
proportion. The only part she has to play is that of laying eggs, and so
she has no palettes or brushes. Only one queen lives in each hive, of
which she is perfect sovereign, all the workers submissively obeying
her. The number of males is scarcely one-tenth that of the working bees,
and they live only about three months.