278 NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS. 
plants, particularly of those of the natural order Labdiate ; 
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. 
8th. THe Comps.—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. 
9th. 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. 
