B. Y.] THE HISTORY OF ANIMALS. 129 



4. Wax is made from flowers. They bring the material 

 of wax from the droppings of trees, but the honey falls from 

 the air, principally about the rising of the stars, and when 

 the rainbow rests upon the earth. Generally no honey is 

 produced before the rising of the Pleiades. "We argue that 

 wax is made, as I said, from flowers, but that the bees do 

 not make honey, but simply collect that which falls ; for 

 those who keep bees find the cells filled with honey in the 

 course of one or two days. In the autumn there are 

 flowers enough, but the bees make no honey, if that which 

 they have produced is taken away. But if one supply was 

 taken away, and they were in want of food, they would 

 make more if they procured it from flowers. 



5. The honey becomes thick by ripening, for at first it is 

 like water, and continues liquid for some days, wherefore it 

 never becomes thick if it is taken away during that time. 

 It requires twenty days to make it consistent; this is very- 

 plain from the taste of it, for it differs both in sweetness 

 and solidity. The bee carries honey from every plant 

 which has cup-shaped flowers, and from all those which 

 contain a sweet principle, but does not injure the fruit ; it 

 takes up and carries away the sweet taste of plants with 

 its tongue-like organ. 



6. The honey-comb is pressed when the wild figs begin 

 to appear; and they produce the best grubs when they 

 can produce honey. The bees carry the wax and bee- 

 bread upon their legs, but the honey is disgorged into 

 the cells. After the progeny is deposited in the cells, 

 they incubate like birds. In the wax cells the little worm 

 is placed at the side ; afterwards it rises of itself to be fed. 

 It is united to the comb in such a manner as to be held 

 by it. The progeny both of the bees and drones from 

 which the little worms are produced, is white. As they 

 grow they become bees and drones. The progeny of the 

 king-bees is rather red, and about the consistency of thick 

 honey. In bulk it is as large as the creature which is pro- 

 duced from it. The progeny of the king-bee is not a worm, 

 but comes forth a perfect bee, as they say ; and, when the 

 progeny is produced in the comb, honey is found in that 

 which is opposite. 



