21 SEPTEMBER 1951, Page 20

Busy Bees

SIR,—Is Bombus, the male bumble bee, the worker Mr. Richard Church makes him in his pretty poem ? ,The males of Apis, the honey-bee, pever do a stroke from the time they are hatched until their blind mouths are stopied by their Socialist sisters at the autumnal hecatomb. Bombus is also a social bee, and it is likely its habits are the same (in letting the women do all the work). But has it been ascertained that Bombus drones do really

Of other care . . . little reck'ning make Than how to scramble at the (honey) feast " ?