340 
BEE. 
along with the other : but it is the first that contains 
the poison, which is a thin, clear fluid. To ascer- 
tain which was the poison, I dipped points of 
needles into both, and pricked the back of the 
hand j and those punctures that had the fluid from 
the first-described bags in them grew sore and in- 
flamed, while the others did not. From the stings 
having serrated edges, it is seldom the bees can 
disengage them ; and they immediately upon sting- 
ing endeavour to make their escape, but are gene- 
rally prevented, as it were caught in their own 
trap; and the force they use commonly drags out 
.the whole of the apparatus for stinging, and also 
part of the bowels; so that the bee most frequently 
falls a sacrifice immediately upon having elfected 
its purpose. Upon a superlicial view, one con- 
ceives, that the first intention of the bee having 
a sting is evident ; one sees it has property to de- 
fend, and that therefore it is fitted for defence; but 
why it should naturally fall a sacrifice in its own 
defence, does not so readily appear: besides, all 
bees have stings, although all bees have not pro- 
perty to defend, and therefore are not under the 
same necessity of being so provided. Probably 
its having a sting to use, was suflicient for nature 
to defend the bee, without using it liberally; and 
the loss of a bee or two, when they did sting, 
was of no consequence; for it is seldom that 
more die. 
“ 1 have now carried the operations of a hive, 
or the oeconomy of the bee, completely round the 
year; in which time they revolve to the first point 
