CH. III.] THE HIVE BEE. 65 



formed it into pellets, and deposited them in the bas- 

 kets of their thighs ; thus loaded, they flew to the 

 hive where some of their fellow-labourers instantly 

 came to assist them in detaching this viscid sub- 

 stance from their baskets. These pellets were laid 

 in a little heap as near as possible to the place in 

 which it was afterward used. In the instance ob- 

 served by Huber, the propolis was attached to the 

 roof the hive, exactly in the centre between two of 

 the combs, so that it lay in a situation equally con- 

 venient with respect to the cells of either. A bee 

 then drew out a thread from the viscid mass ; it then 

 cut it off with its teeth, and laid hold of it with the 

 claw of one of its feet. Thus equipped, the insect 

 was seen to enter one of the cells which had been 

 but just formed. The object of this manoeuvre was 

 soon apparent ; when the insect came out, one of the 

 angles formed by the junction of two of the six sides 

 forming the cell, was found lined and soldered with 

 propolis. The process was regularly repeated, until 

 all the angles had been lined and secured in a simi- 

 lar manner; not indeed by the same bee, but by 

 others which shared in this labour. Having finished 

 one cell, they proceeded to another, until all the cells 

 destined for the young had been thus soldered and 

 strengthened. 



Propolis is the substance used in all cases in which 

 strength and solidity are required. It is well known 

 that the habitation of bees ought to be very close ; 

 if it contained any cracks or unstopped crevices, 

 other insects might enter the hive, or the rain might 

 penetrate into the interior, which would be attended 

 with fatal consequences. Any deficiencies in these 

 respects, which may arise either from the unskilful- 

 ness or negligence of man, the insects supply by 

 their own industry ; so that when they take posses- 

 sion of a new habitation, their first and principal care 

 is to close up all crannies with propolis. When the 

 bees begin to work with this substance it is soft, but 



F2 



