504 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



Family, Apidso. (Lat. Apis, a Bee.) 



APIS. 



Mellifica (Lat. Mel, honey; facere, to make), the lloiicy Bcc* 



method employed by the bees to give the cells that shape is 

 not known. The cells in which the drone or male bees are 

 hatched, are much larger than those of the ordinary or worker 

 bee. The edges of the cells are strengthened with a substance 

 called propolis, which is a gummy material procured from 

 the buds of various trees. This propolis is also used to stop 

 up crevices and to mix with wax when the comb has to be 

 strengthened. 



The royal cells are much larger than any others, and are of 

 an oval shape. When a worker larva is placed in a royal 

 cell, and fed in a royal manner, it imbibes the principles of 

 royalty, and becomes a queen accordingly. This practice is 

 adopted if the queen bee should die, and there be no other 

 queen to take her place. 



The Queen Bee is lady paramount in her own hive, and suf- 

 fers no other queen to divide rule with her. Should a strange 

 queen gain admittance, there is a battle at once, which ceases 

 not until one has been destroyed. 



* In the cut, the upper figure is the Queen Bee ; that on the left the Worker ; and 

 that on the right the Drone. 



