CH. III.] THE HIVE BEE. 61 



sally, it unremittingly pursues, throughout the whole 

 course of its future existence, the task which its in- 

 stinct thus impels it to begin. 



There are three substances for which bees forage 

 during their excursions from the hive : honey, or a 

 saccharine matter extracted from the nectary of 

 flowers — the pollen or fertilizing dust of the anthers 

 — and an odoriferous resin called propolis. 



Honey is extracted from that part of the flower 

 called the nectarium. For the purpose of collecting 

 this fluid substance, the insect is furnished with a 

 trunk or tongue, which it is capable of doubling up 

 or elongating at pleasure. This is not formed in 

 the manner of a tube, by Avhich the fluid is to be 

 sucked up, but like a tongue, to lick away the honeyed 

 juice which nature has secreted in the little glands 

 which were always known to the bee, although they 

 had, until a very recent period, completely eluded 

 the researches of the most skilful botanists. From 

 the tongue this sweet juice is conveyed to the mouth : 

 it then passes through the gullet into the first sto- 

 mach or honey-bag, which, when filled, appears like 

 an oblong bladder, and as transparent as crystal (see 

 Jig. p. 62). Children in country places are Avell 

 acquainted with this bladder, and destroy many bees 

 in order to get at their store of honey. When the 

 bee has sufficiently filled this bag, it returns to the 

 hive, and, reserving only a small part of its load for 

 its own use, disgorges the remainder into one of the 

 cells. Sometimes the insect may be seen delivering 

 its surplus store to another bee, which appears ready 

 to receive it at the entrance of the hive ; when it flies 

 off for a fresh supply. Some honeycombs are always 

 left open for the common use of the workers engaged 

 in the hive ; but the greater number of the cells filled 

 during the course of the summer are carefully 

 stopped up until the internal supply of honey begins 

 to fail, and it becomes necessary to have recourse to 

 their contents. When the harvest of honey is so 

 J.— F 



