278 NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS. 



plants, particularly of those of the natural order Labiates; 

 as thyme, mint, hyssop, lavender, sweet basil, catmint, mar- 

 joram, mountain-mint, sage, and many others. Besides 

 these aromatic plants there are many others rich in farina ; 

 as the willow, apple, and pear-trees, strawberries, sun-flow- 

 er, melons, pumpkins, cucumbers, Indian corn, buckwheat, 

 golden-rod, and many others. 



8tli. The Combs. — The cells of bees are hexagonous, or 

 six-sided in form, as may be readily seen in every comb ; 

 but it is not so easy to observe how they build them. While 

 looking at the bees in a glass hive, it seems as if all were 

 taking part in the construction of the comb at one time, 

 and such a crowd is concentrated in one spot that nothing 

 can be seen. Still it may be observed that they put on the 

 wax with their jaws, and give it a form, commencing at the 

 top or ceiling of the hive, suspending their combs from 

 above, and fastening them with propolis. 



0th. The Wax and Honey Harvest. — This usually takes 

 place, in this country as well as in Europe, during the months 

 of September or October. The manner of obtaining this 

 important harvest is different according to the views and ex- 

 perience of different apiarians, but it is usually done either 

 by suffocating the bees and taking all their products, or by 

 driving them out into another hive, and then depriving them 

 of a portion of their food, when they are allowed to go back 

 into the hive. Many apiarians use the former method, and 

 kill all the bees in the old hives, so that they may use the 

 whole amount of wax and honey contained in them. This 

 merciless and cruel treatment of creatures who do us no pos- 

 sible harm, but are really very beneficial to us, is sometimes 

 resorted to as a matter of necessity ; for instance, where the 

 hives are old, or infested by the bee-moth, or when the api- 

 arian uses bell-shaped straw-hives, from which the honey 

 can not be extracted without danger of being stung, and 

 of killing the largest number of the bees by the operation. 



