HARD WICKE ' S S CIE NCE- G SSI P. 



127 



(Balsamita vulgaris) are not British plants, but in 

 some districts, as the Isle of Man, abound near old 

 cottages — the former cultivated probably for its 

 colour, the latter as a substitute for hops. 



We shall hope to resume this subject in a future 

 paper. We would observe, in conclusion, that not 

 only are the bright flowers with their fragrant 

 perfume grateful and pleasing to man, but also to the 

 insect world, and most useful to the plants themselves. 

 For further information on this part of our history we 

 would refer the reader to Dr. J. E. Taylor's book, 

 "Flowers: their Origin, Shapes, Perfumes, and 

 Colours." 



Elizabeth Edwards. 



NOTES ON THE COMBS OF BEES. 



THE sight of bees' combs always excites admira- 

 tion, but few or none have described exactly 

 how the hexagonal cells are formed. I paid some 

 attention to this subject lately, the results of which 

 accord with what I said respecting it some years 

 back in the "Gardener's Chronicle." This was 

 noticed by some of our leading apiarians, and among 

 them was the late Mr. Taylor. He objected to what I 

 said respecting bees collecting wax from plants, and 

 also that some of them ejected wax from their mouths 

 when comb-building. I replied that I took the hint 

 of bees frequenting plants (especially common laurels) 

 after wax, from the first edition of his own " Book on 

 Bees," and as to the other, that I was as sure of the 

 insects ejecting wax from their mouths as I was of 

 their secreting it through the segments under their 

 abdomens in form of small scales. These may be seen 

 on the bottoms of the hives, even by a casual observer ; 

 and they led Hunter to consider that beeswax was a 

 secretion of oil from them, and not of vegetable origin. 

 But be that as it may, wax is the chief material of 

 which the combs are made. But when bees are 

 forming the cells, they are covered or hidden by the 

 dense mass of clustering ones which keep up the 

 heat required to keep the wax flexible, and obscure 

 the light. Therefore, it is only when bees are work- 

 ing upwards in bell glasses, especially on a warm 

 day, without clustering, that one can get a glimpse 

 of the cell builders. I have had several good oppor- 

 tunities of this, and mention without scruple that 

 the insects eject wax through their mouths in a frothy 

 state, and it oozes out between their mandibles, while 

 with these forming the cells. The bases of these are 

 patches of wax, perhaps mixed with propolis, daubed 

 on where the combs are fixed, and on which the cells 

 are begun. Their first rudiments are triangles, 

 formed by a peculiar appendage in the bees' mouths, 

 having joints at the angles, which open and close 

 as they proceed with the cells. When not in 

 use this appendage is of a triangular shape, is 

 serrated, and may be mistaken for the insect's fore- 



legs. I had the first glimpse of this curious thing, 

 which, to suit my purpose, I call a pair of compasses, 

 while watching a queen hornet making her nest. 

 The rudiment of the first cell was a triangle, and 

 soon five more were added to it. When the lonely 

 insect was at work with her forceps or mandibles, I 

 observed she kept moving a curious appendage in 

 her mouth, shaped exactly like that noticed of the 

 bee. I mention both in particular because I consider 

 that upon both hangs nearly the whole mystery of 

 bees', hornets', and wasps' construction of their hexa- 

 gonal cells. I need hardly observe that by such form 

 there is no space or room lost in the combs. 



If asked how the drone's cells are made larger, at 

 present I can only say the insects open their com- 

 passes a little wider while at work ; and when so on 

 queen cells, they use their mandibles only, as doth 

 the humble bee, whose cells are found, like those of 

 the queen of the hive, except the mouths. These 

 are downwards, and are made of tougher materials 

 than the hexagonal cells. There seems to be a 

 portion of propolis in them ; they are built on the 

 edges of the combs, they vary in number from six to 

 twelve, and are never occupied except by the larvae 

 of the females, which attain the insect state during 

 the swarming season, in order to lead the swarms off 

 and thus establish fresh colonies. I may mention 

 that propolis is a resinous substance which bees 

 collect from trees, and carry home on their hinder 

 legs as they do pollen. It may be called bees' 

 cement, because they use it to close up the little 

 crevices and to seal down the bottoms of their hives. 



J. WlGHTON. 



NOTES ON THE NESTS OF EUROPEAN 

 TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS. 



By G. H. Bryan. 



[Continued from page 61.] 



THE third type of wafer nests I have to mention 

 is constructed by N. Eleanora. It constructs 

 what is termed the double door unbranched nest, the 

 tube of which is not branched, but contains an inner 

 door (fig. 75). This latter is somewhat circular in 

 form, but straight at the hinge (fig. 75(5). I observed 

 that the tube is slightly swollen just below this, so 

 that when the door is opened, it falls into this enlarge- 

 ment, leaving the passage of the tube unobstructed 

 (fig. 75, 6a). This curious peculiarity I have not seen 

 mentioned elsewhere. 



TheA^. congener, found at Hyeres, builds a remark- 

 able nest. As all trapdoor spiders build on a 

 sloping bank so that the outer door should shut by its 

 own weight, I need not say that this one does so, but 

 in this case, the spider makes its tube horizontally for 

 about two inches, when it suddenly turns vertically 

 downwards, while a branch turns upwards at the 



