THE BEES WHICH WE PASS BY. 211 



ter is slate-gray in color and varies greatly in size, 

 but is generally a trifle plumper than the Italian bee. 

 The common black bee was introduced into 

 Florida by the Spaniards some few years previous 

 to 1763. Longfellow evidently knew that the 

 honeybee was not indigenous to this country, for he 

 makes Hiawatha say of the white men : 



Wheresoe'er they move, before them 

 Swarms the stinging fly, the Ahmo, 

 Swarms the bee, the honey-maker. 



One of the most interesting facts about the work 

 of the bee is the method she pursues in the manufac- 

 ture of wax ; this is evolved by a sort of meditative 

 process somewhat akin to German philosophy, except 

 that I must admit the irrelevancy of mind in this 

 particularly case. The workers proceed to gorge 

 themselves with honey ; then they hang together 

 in a series of chains from the roof of the hive, each 

 one clasping hands with her neighbor and remaining 

 in that quiescent position for twenty-four hours or 

 so. This inactivity produces a result similar to that 

 which follows upon the cooping up and overfeeding 

 of a barnyard fowl ; the bees begin to grow fat that 

 is, they exude wax in the shape of delicate scales 

 from eight small pouches on the under side of the 

 abdomen. Honey is therefore converted into wax in 



