DEAR ANNIE AND KATIE,—When I was a little boy I often wished that my soldiers would come to life. I used to think how grand it would be if only I could have a city of little people on the dining-room table. Of course my dreams never came true, even though one day I had a brilliant idea, and wrapped a whole regiment of soldiers in flannel and put them in the oven, hoping that in this way I should find them really alive next morning!
But nowadays I have a wonderful city of tiny workers, that can be put on a table. In it there are soldiers, food gatherers, bread-makers, undertakers, and a host of others. It is ruled over by a queen, and each day the gates of the city are crowded with the workers, who pass in and out in hundreds.
Have you guessed that my wonderful city is really a bee-hive? Although I cannot command my little friends to do this thing or that, to come here or go there, yet I am quite content to leave them to their own ways, and just to watch them in their daily life, and to study their customs and laws.
In this little book I intend to tell you something about my bees. I hope that you will be interested to read what I have written, and then perhaps, later on, when you grow up, you may keep bees, and you will be able to study their wonderful ways for yourselves.
I am sure you will join me in giving our best thanks to my friends who have so kindly helped me in the preparation of some of the pictures: to Mr. W. Barker, Mr. D. Ingham, Mr. H. Mackie, Mr. G. W. Stephenson; and to Mr. J. Lambert for permission to use Plates Nos. XIV., XV., XXVII., XXIX. and XXX.
My thanks are due also to Mr. W. H. McCormick for his kindness in reading over the proofs.
Yours truly,
ELLISON HAWKS.
10 GRANGE TERRACE,
LEEDS, 1912.
From a photograph by] [E. Hawks
Drone Queen Worker
The Three Kinds of Bees