88 BEES. 



ture, and which she soon after delivered to the 

 next leg, and from that, after a little moulding 

 more, to the hinder one, where she lodged it 

 m a round lump in a part destined to receive 

 Jt ; and having thus finished her operation, 

 took wing for the hive with her load. 



It appeared therefore evidently, that what 

 had seemed sport and pastime, was bu- 

 siness to the insect ; that its rolling itself 

 about was with intent to dislodge this yellow 

 dust from the little cases that contained it ; 

 and that this powder, the abundance of which 

 it was easy to perceive could not be created 

 for the service of the plant, was destined to 

 furnish the Bee with wax to make its combs, 

 and to serve us for a thousand purposes 

 afterwards. 



The return of this single insect to the 

 hive, sent out a legion upon the same expe- 

 dition. The tree was in an instant covered 

 as thick almost with Bees as with flowers. 

 All these employed themselves exactly as the 

 first had done, except that some of them be- 

 ing reduced to enter flowers yet hardly open, 

 in which the reservoirs of this waxy powder 

 w^ere not ripe for bursting, these were forced 



