ORDER VI.—VEIN-WINGED INSECTS. 271 
more than a foot long, and four inches wide, before they 
fly out, which fact is regarded as a proof that they produce 
wax from their own bodies, without having ever collected 
any of the pollen of flowers or other materials for that pur- 
pose. Ifthe weather is fine, they fly out on the third day 
for the purpose of collecting their materials, and in twenty- 
four hours after a comb may often be seen, twenty inches 
long, by eight inches wide ; and in five days half of the hive 
will be filled with combs. 
6th. THEIR StTiInG AND Barries.—The proboscis of mos- 
quitoes and horse-flies forms their venomous weapon of de- 
fense ; but this member is entirely harmless in the bee, while 
their sting, which is found at the hindmost extremity of 
their bodies, is much more formidable, and in its construc- 
tion is somewhat remarkable and deserving of notice. IRZfa 
bee be taken by the neck between two fingers, or, what is 
safer, between the blades of a pair of forceps, it will bend 
itself toward the part where it is held, and repeatedly dart 
forth its sting for the purpose of inflicting a wound. If the 
hind body be pressed in the same manner, the sting will be 
forced out, and although it is very thin, it may readily be 
examined with the naked eye, and a small drop of venom 
will be seen at its extremity, which is proof that it is hol- 
low. With the further assistance of a magnifying glass, we 
find that this sting is composed of four parts, like bristles 
united together, of which the two internal ones are armed 
with a hook. ‘These four bristles are all inserted in the 
wound made by the Sting, which is thus formed into a hol- 
low tube, filled with clear and fluid venom, which proceeds 
from a small bladder at its upper part within the body. 
Hence if a bee is suddenly driven away as soon as it has 
stung a person, the whole of the sting remains in the wound, 
retained by its hook, and with it also remains the venom- 
bag, with some of the entrails, on account of which the bee 
loses its life. All this may be witnessed by forcing a bee 
