332 



JOtTRNAL OF HORTIOULTDEB AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ October : 



, i8e& 



the latter being the moet nTunerons. The cells, of course, 

 vary in their direction in the same manner as the comb which 

 they form ; those of the horizontal layers of ccmb being vertical 

 with their openings upward, while the cells of the vertical 

 comb are placed in a horizontal direction. In the horizontal 

 cells the mouths are partly directed away from the entrance to 

 the hive, and partly towards it ; the former direction being 

 given to those cells which occupy the middle liyers of comb, 

 and the latter to the cells which are placed on the side of the 

 hive opposed to the opening. All the combe, both vertical 

 and horizontal, are composed of a single series of cells applied 

 laterally to each other, and not, as in the European hive bee, of 

 two series, the one applied against the extremities of the other. 

 The horizontal combs are much more regularly formed than 

 the vertical, the latter being broken and placed at uncertain 

 distances, while the horizontal are perfectly parallel with each 

 other, forming uniform layers and placed at equal distances. 

 Between these parallel combs are processes of wax, partly sup- 

 porting them and passing from the base of one cell to the 

 junction of others in the next layer. These columns are con- 

 siderably stronger and thicker thaa the sides o£ the cells nhioh 

 they support. 



The cells appear to be destined solely for the habitation of 

 the young bees ; for in all that have been examined bees have 

 been found. The bee is placed in the cell with its hinder 

 parts directed towards the mouth of the cell, which is covered 

 by a granular mass, probably composed of the pollen of plants. 

 The form of the cells is hexangular, but the angles are not 

 sharply defined, and the mouth is scarcely, if at all, thicker 

 than the sides. In their dimensions and relative proportions 

 they diSer materially from those of the European, and still 

 more from those of the Indian bees, ae may be sees by the 

 subjoined table : — 



SIcxican. Earnp&an. Indian. 



Dinmcter of csU i- lij, R', ,: lj,2J 



DepthofUitto 4 0, 6 .^ ^,'6 ' - 



All of those which are visible appear to be uniform in size ; 

 nor without the destruction of the specimens can it be ascer- 

 tained whether there are any larger cells for the larva; of the 

 males or of the queen. 



The combs are placed together at some distance from the 

 opening of the liive, and form a group of an oval shape, ccn- 

 sisting of five horizontal and parallel layers, occupying the 

 part most remote from the opening ; of an interrupted vertical 

 layer applied to the side opposed to the opening ; and of two 

 principal, and two or three smaller, vertical layers in the middle. 

 The whole of these are supported by wax, spread out into 

 layers borne on processes of the same material, resting either 

 on the wood of the cavity, or on other parts of the fabric of the 

 comb. In these processes and layers of wax are numerous 

 openings of various sizes, at once admitting of ready access for 

 the inhabitants to every part of the hive, and economising the 

 nse of the material of which they are constructed. Some of 

 the openings are of large dimensions. The entrance into the 

 hive is continued into a long gallery, which, to judge from 

 the direction taken by a flexible substance introduced into it, 

 leads beneath the combs to their very extremity. It is there- 

 fore probable that at the extremity the work of bnil<iing com- 

 menced. 



Surrounding the combs are several layers of wax as thin as 

 paper, irregular in their form, and placed at some little dis- 

 tance from each other, the interstices varying from a quarter to 

 half an inch. One of these supports a vertical comb ; the others 

 are connected to the combs only at their edges, or by processes 

 or layers of wax. Externally to these are placed the sacs for 

 containing honey, which are generally large, and rounded in 

 form. They vary in size, some of them exceeding IJ inch in 

 diameter. They are supported by processes of wax from the 

 wood of the cavity, or from each other, and are frequently ap- 

 plied side by side, so as mutually to afford strength to each 

 other, and to allow of one side serving equally for two sacs. 

 Their disposition is altogether irregular, and bears some re- 

 semblance to that of a portion of a bunch of grapes, rendering 

 it probable that Nierenberg was acquainted with a similar nest, 

 if not actually that of the same bee, although he denies to the 

 one described by him the power of onsiructing combs. Some 

 of the honey-sacs are placed apart from the others, forming a 

 distinct cluster of the same general appearance as those imme- 

 diately adjoining the comb. 



From this singular position of the honey-sacs a most im- 

 portant advantage is obtained by the cultivators of the Mexican 

 hive bee. To possess themselves of its honey it is unnecessary 



to have recourse to the means adopted in Qnrope for stupefying, 

 or even destroying, the inhabitants of the hive. All that is 

 necessary is to remove the plug from the end of the cavity em- 

 ployed as a hive, to introduce the hand and withdraw the honey- 

 sacs. The store of the laborious bee is thus transferred to the 

 proprietor of the hive without injuring, and almost without 

 disturbing, its inhabitants. The end of the hive is then again 

 stopped up ; and the bees hasten to lay up a fresh supply of 

 honey in lieu of that of which tliey have been despoiled, again 

 to be robbed of their precious deposit. A hive treated in this 

 way affords during the summer at least two harvests. 



The honey is nsually pressed from the sacs by the hand. Its 

 consistence is thin, but its flavour is good, although inferior to 

 that of the whiter honey furnished by the Spanish bee (pro- 

 bably our Apis mellifica, L). It does not readily ferment, 

 some of that contained in the hive being perfectly sweet and 

 grateful even after its arrival in England. 



The wax is coarse in quality ; its colour is dark yellowish 

 brown. The whole of it appears to be similar in texture and 

 properties, as well that used in the construction of the cells, 

 as that which is applied to the coarser work of forming honey- 

 sacs and supports ; the only remarkable difference being that 

 in the former it is apparently paler, probably owing to the 

 layers employed being considerably thinner and more delicate. 

 Of the varnish-like substance known by the name of propolis, 

 and nsed by the European bees to cover the foreign substances 

 with which they frequently come in contact, scarcely any vestige 

 is exhibited, although we have evidence of its existence. The 

 wood of the inside of the hive, except where wax is applied to 

 it, is perfectly naked. 



The hollow of the trunk forming the hive now before us, is 

 irregular in its outline, and varies in its breadth in different 

 parts. Its average diameter, however, is about 5 inches. The 

 length occupied by the cells is more than 7 inches, and the 

 tqtal length between the extremities of the honey-sacs is 

 15 inches. The number of its inhabitants, assuming that of 

 the cells as a guide, must have been considerably under a 

 thousand ; a number trifling in comparison with that contained 

 in the hives of the European bee, which commonly amounts to 

 as many as twenty-four thousand. 



The bee by which this nest is constructed is smaller than 

 the European hive bee, its abdomen especially being much 

 shorter than that of our common species. Like all those Ameri- 

 can bees which approach in their habits to our European race, 

 it is readily distinguished from that, and frcm all other hive 

 bees yet discovered in the Old World, by the form of the first 

 joint of its hinder tarsi, which is that of a triangle, with the 

 apex applied to the tibia. On account of this variation in the 

 form of a part so important to the economy of bees, modem 

 entomologists have universally agreed in the propriety of re- 

 garding the American races as constituting a distinct group 

 from the bees of the Old World. M. Latreille has gone further 

 by subdividing the American bees into two genera ; Jlelipona, 

 in which the mandibles are not toothed ; and Triflona, in which 

 these organs are dentate. Of the propriety of this subdivision, 

 which hitherto seemed to be supported by the general appear- 

 ance of the insects referred to each group, the examination of 

 the bee whose nest has just been described has given rise to 

 considerable doubts. In it one of the mandibles is toothed, 

 and the other is nearly entire. Its technical characters, there- 

 fore, are intermediate between the two genera, with a leaning 

 towards Trigona ; but its general appearance is entirely that 

 of a Melipona. approaching very closely to that of ilelipona 

 favosa, Latr., Apis favosa Fah. That it cannot be that species, 

 or any of the nearly-related ones described by M. Latreill-? in 

 the " Observations Zoologiques," is evident from the dentation 

 of its mandible, and it may, therefore, be regarded as new to 

 science. The name of Melipona Becchcii which is here 

 proposed for it, is a just tribute to the observer, to whom we 

 owe the first opportunity possessed in Europe of becoming 

 acquainted with its habits and economy. 



Some curious stories are related by the possessors as to the 

 manners of these bees, one of which deserves to be recorded. 

 They assert that at the entrance of each hive a sentinel is 

 placed to watch the outgoings and incomings of his fellows, 

 and that this sentinel is relieved at the expiration of twenty- 

 four hours, when another assumes his post and duties for the 

 same period. On the duration of this guard some doubts may 

 reasonably be entertained, but of its existence ample evidence 

 was obtained by repeated observation. At all times a single 

 bee was seen occupying the hole leadina to the nest, who on 

 the approach of another withdrew himself within a small cavity, 



