236 



Marvels of Insect Life, 



The Indian Honey-Bee. 



In spite of one of its names — the big bee — and its enor- 

 mous comb, the Indian honey-bee is no larger than 

 the English honey-bee, which is shown below. It is 

 of so fierce a disposition that all attempts to domes- 

 ticate it have failed. Twice natural size. 



the wax is worked — possibly with the addition 

 of sahva — into a condition suitable for the use of 

 those who have to build up the comb and model 

 the six-sided cells. But before we look further 

 into the economy of the domesticated honey- 

 bee, let us glance at the wild honey-storing bees. 

 The wild wax-workers as a rule construct 

 no nest in the sense of an external covering like 

 the paper bag of the social-wasps. Instead they 

 utilize an existing hollow — a cave, or decayed 

 tree, or the roof of a human building. But some 

 species of mosquito-bees ^ collect clay instead of 

 pollen, and with it build up a wall around 

 their combs. This is probably due to the fact that their stings are undeveloped 

 and useless for protection. Bates says that most of the South American species 

 of mosquito-bees are workers in clay as well as in wax, and they appear to use it 

 as our honey-bee uses propolis, the gummy varnish scraped from the leaf-buds 

 of certain trees and the stems of some smaller plants. He says that none of these 

 stingless American bees have attained to that high degree of architectural skill 

 in the construction of their comb which is shown by our honey-bee. Their wax-cells 

 are generally oblong, showing only an approximation to the six-sided shape in 

 places where several are built in contact. 



The dingar," or big bee, of India differs from these mosquito-bees in the fact 

 that its sting has a very fine and practicable point, and the bee is always ready to 

 use it. It, or a closely allied species (for several appear to have been somewhat 

 mixed up in the accounts), is execrated by archaeologists on account of its repre- 

 hensible habit of attaching its huge pendant combs to fine buildings like the Taj 

 Mahal at Agra, and the paintings and sculptures in the rock temples at Ajanta. 

 It also attaches its combs to the under side of the horizontal branches of tall trees, 

 such as the cotton-tree. These combs, according to Mr. E. P. Stebbing, are semi- 

 elliptical in shape, five feet long and two and a half feet in breadth. Such a comb 



mav be seen in the Natural Histoiy Museum at 

 South Kensington. A single tree may have a 

 dozen of these huge combs on its branches ; and 

 woe to the newlv arrived and innocent Ituropean 

 sportsman who " between beats " indulges in 

 a restful pipe under one of these trees. The 

 ascending reek of burnt tobacco will excite the 

 dingars to fury, and they will descentl in 

 thousands and cause the xaliant sportsmen — ■ 

 j)robably militarv ofiicers — to beat an igno- 

 minious retreat at a speed unusual in that 

 climate. One well-known archaeologist who was 

 investigating the mural art of Ajanta had to 

 remain in the river for hours, uj) to his chin in 



Common Honey-Bee. 



In spite of itssmall size, the honey-bee has made agreat 

 figure in the literature and symbolism of all the ages. 

 Its importance is attributable to its power of producing 

 wax, which enables it to store honey. Twice natural 

 size. 



JMelipona. 



- Apis dorsata. 



