ON BEES WAX* ^ J g(J 



hive with a grating. My intention will be gaefied: I wi(hecl 

 to know whether thefe infe^ls could fupport their young with* 

 out this fecundating powder. 



The next day nothing extraordinary occurred j the bees fat 

 on their eggs and Teemed tonurfe them. 



On the 18th, after fun-fet, a great noife was heard in the 

 hive. Anxious to fee what occafioned it, we opened the fliut* 

 ters, and obferved that all was in confufion: the incubation was 

 flopped; the bees ran over the combs in diforder; we faw 

 thoufands precipitate themfelves on the ftand, thofe which 

 were neareft to the mouth eagerly gnawed the grating; their 

 intention was no longer doubtful, they wiftied to get out of 

 their confinement. 



I was fearful of deftroying them by continuing to prevent 

 them from yielding to their inftinft, they were therefore fet at 

 liberty : the whole fvvarm came out, but the hour was unfa- 

 vourable to their collecting, the bees did not go far from the 

 hives, the darknefs, and the chillinefs of the air, foon compel- 

 led them to ffeturn, and probably calmed their agitation, for 

 we faw them quietly reafcend their combs, and order appeared 

 to us to be re-eftabliflied. This moment was taken to clofe 

 the hive again. 



On the 19th, we faw two royal cells begun on one of the Other royal celb 

 combs of the nurfery (couvain)', the evening of this day, and ^^'^^> 

 at the fame hour as the day before, we heard a great tumult in 

 the clofed hive, it was in a general confufion, and we were 

 again obliged to permit the fwarm to come out. 



The 20th was the fifth day of their captivity ; we thought 

 it had been of fufficient duration, and were alfo very impatient 

 to examine the nurfery, and to fee what was the caufe of the: 

 periodical agitation of thefe bees : Burnens therefore opened 

 the firtl and twelfth windows, and drove the bees from the 

 combs, fullering them to take their flight in a room, the win- 

 dows of which were iliut. 



He firft noticed that the royal cells had not been continued', 

 that they did not contain any worm, and that there was not gn 

 atom of the jelly which ferves for the nourifliroent and the cra- 

 dle of the larvse of the queens. 



He fought in vain for eggs, for worms, and for the liquid in —but the pro- 

 thd corara«n cells; all had difappeared. Had lhef« worms *^*^^* *!'? "°' 8^ 



*^* on Without pol- 



dltid lea. 



