58 HOW TO KEEP BEES 



in the hive, evaporates the water and thus thickens 

 the honey. 



Ignorant people believe that honey is regurgitated 

 from the true stomach of the bee, which is far from 

 true. The honey-stomach is simply a reservoir in 

 which the honey is made and then stored until the 

 bee can empty it into a cell. Her true stomach lies 

 behind the honey-stomach and connects with it by 

 a mouth that can be opened or closed at will; when 

 she wishes to eat some honey, she opens the stomach 

 mouth and takes in what she needs. The chyle 

 which she manufactures in her true stomach to feed 

 the young bees, when regurgitated, does not pass 

 through the honey-stomach; instead, the mouth of 

 the real stomach is pushed up through the centre of 

 the honey-reservoir until it connects directly with the 

 sesophagus. (Plate XXVI, Fig. 7 p.) 



When an ancient Roman was asked on his hun- 

 dredth birthday how he had preserved his vigour, 

 physically and mentally, he answered laconically, 

 Inerius melle, exterius olea " Inside with honey, out- 

 side with oil." He spoke wisely, for honey is un- 

 doubtedly the most healthful of sweets, because it is 

 so largely composed of the predigested grape-sugar. 



It is hard for us to realise that, until comparatively 

 recently, honey was the only sweet in general use. 

 Cane-sugar was not commonly eaten in Europe 

 until the seventeenth century, and previous to that 

 time honey held sway as the sweetening medium of 

 all foods. The amount of honey produced in the 

 United States now is estimated to be more than 



