262 THE HISTORY OP ANIMALS. [B. IX, 



7. The bees collect the wax by climbing actively on the 

 flowers with their fore feet. They cleanse these upon the 

 middle pair of legs, and their middle legs again on the 

 curved part of their hind legs, and thus loaded they fly 

 away. They are evidently heavily loaded. During each 

 flight the bee does not settle upon flowers of different kinds, 

 but as it were from violet to violet, and touches no other 

 species till it returns to the hive. There they are unloaded, 

 and two or three bees follow every one on its return to the 

 hive. It is not easy to see what is taken, nor has their 

 manner of working it been ever observed, Their manner of 

 collecting wax upon the olive trees has been the subject of 

 observation; for the thickness of the leaves makes them 

 remain a long while in this tree. 



8. After having done this they produce their young. 

 There is nothing to prevent there being grubs, and honey, 

 and drones in the same comb. As long as the king bee is 

 alive, they say that the drones are produced in a separate 

 place ; but when he is dead they are produced by the bees 

 in their own cells, and such drones are more passionate : for 

 this cause they are called stingers, not that they have any 

 sting, but that they would sting, if they had the power to 

 do so. The drone cells are larger. Sometimes the drone 

 cells are placed by themselves, but are generally combined 

 with those of bees, for which reason they cut them off. 



9. There are several kinds of bees, as has been already 

 observed: two kinds of kings, the better sort of which is 

 red, and the other sort is black and variegated, and in size 

 double that of a good bee. The best kind is small, round, 

 and variegated ; the other is long, like the wild bee. There 

 is another called phor (the thief) ; it is black, and has a 

 broad abdomen. The drone is another sort : it is the largest 

 of them all, has no sting, and is stupid. The bees that are 

 produced from those that inhabit cultivated places are dif- 

 ferent from the natives of mountainous countries, for those 

 produced from wood bees are more hairy, smaller, less, more 

 diligent, and more violent. The best bees elaborate a smooth 

 comb, with a polished surface. The comb also is of one 

 form, as if entirely adapted for honey, or for grubs, or 

 drones ; and if it happens that all these are produced in the 

 aame comb, each form will be elaborated in order. 



