2GO THE HISTORY OF ANIMALS. [B. IX 



it from being easily concealed. But the smaller kind con- 

 ceals itself in a small superior chamber of the web. 



7. Spiders have the power of emitting their web as soon 

 as they are born, not from within their bodies, as if it were 

 an excrement, as Democritus says, but from the surface of 

 their body, like the bark of a tree, or like the ejected spines 

 of some animals, as the porcupine. They will attack and 

 surround with their web animals larger than themselves ; for 

 they will attack small lizards, and beginning at the mouth, 

 will emit the web until their mouth is covered, and then will 

 approach and bite them. This is the nature of these animals. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



1. THERE is a tribe of insects which has not yet received 

 any name, although in form all the species resemble each 

 other. This tribe includes those that form wax, as the bee 

 and those which resemble it in shape. Of these there are 

 nine sorts, six of which are gregarious, the bee, the king bee, 

 the drone, which dwells among the bees, the annual wasp, 

 the hornet, and tenthredo. These are solitary, the small 

 siren, of a tawny colour, and another siren, which is large, 

 black, and variegated. The third, which is larger than these, - 

 is called bombylius. The ants pursue no prey, but only col- 

 lect that which is already found. The spiders do not make 

 anything, nor lay up a store, but only hunt down their prey. 



2. Of the rest of the nine kinds already mentioned we 

 will treat hereafter. The bees do not hunt for prey, but 

 they both produce and lay up stores. The honey is their 

 food. This is plainly shown when the honey dealers attempt 

 to take the combs. "When they are fumigated and suffer- 

 ing from the effects of the smoke, they devour the honey 

 greedily, 'which they are not observed to do at other times ; 

 but they spare it and store it up for food. They have also 

 another kind of food, which is called cerinthus (bee bre^d), 

 which is of an inferior quality, and sweet like figs. They 

 carry this upon their legs as they do the wax. 



3. There is great variety in their diligence and mode of 

 life. For when a clean hive is given them, they build their 

 combs, bringing the drops from flowers and trees, such as 

 the willow, the elm, and other glutinous trees. "With this 

 also they smear the floor of their hive, for fear of other crea- 



