in the history of insects, a kind of male bee, larger than the common working or honey-bees: it is so called from its idleness, as never going abroad to collect either honey or wax. See Apis and Bee.

Drone-Fly, a two-winged insect, extremely like the common drone-bee, whence also the name.

Drops, in meteorology, small spherical bodies which the particles of fluids spontaneously form themselves into when let fall from any height. This spherical figure, the Newtonian philosophers demonstrate to be the effect of corporeal attraction; for considering that the attractive force of one single particle of a fluid is equally exerted to an equal distance, it must follow that other fluid particles are on every side drawn to it, and will therefore take their places at an equal distance from it, and consequently form a round fissure. See the articles Attraction, Fluid, and Rain.

Drops, in medicine, a liquid remedy, the dose of which is estimated by a certain number of drops.

English Drops, Guttæ Anglicæ, a name given to a chemical preparation esteemed of great virtue against vapours and lethargic affections, and purchased at 500l. by king Charles II. from the inventor Dr Goddard. The medicine appeared to be only a spirit drawn by the retort from raw silk, and afterwards rectified with oil of cinnamon, or any other essential oil; and was in reality no better than the common sal volatile oleofum, or any of the volatile spirits impregnated with an essential oil, except that it was less disagreeable than any of them to the taste.

Palsy Drops. See Pharmacy, no 443.

Drops of Life. Ibid, no 575.