272 NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS. 



to sting a piece of leather, and suddenly withdrawing it, for 

 the sting will remain upon the leather, and with it a long 

 filament of intestine, with the venom-bag. 



That the pain and swelling of the wound of the honey- 

 bee arises not from the sting alone, but rather from the 

 venom, may easily be proved by any one who will prick his 

 finger with a fine needle (the wound of which he knows will 

 occasion very little pain, and will soon heal up without tu- 

 mefaction), and insert into the wound only a small part of 

 a drop of the venom of the bee, when he will soon find the 

 pain and swelling as great as if stung by the bee itself. A 

 member of the French Academy, who would not believe in 

 the strength of this venom, inoculated a large drop of it 

 into his arm, and in consequence was convinced of his er- 

 ror by terrible and excruciating suffering. Another proof 

 of the influence of this venom is the fact that the sting of 

 bees is comparatively insignificant in winter; while it is 

 worse in summer, when the heat increases the quantity of 

 venom : the same also as is the case with venomous snakes. 



Eeaumure allowed a wasp to sting him, and although at 

 the expense of much pain, he waited until that insect had 

 withdrawn his sting, when one of his servants, at his re- 

 quest, was soon after stung by the same wasp and experi- 

 enced very little pain; immediately after Reaumure was 

 again stung by the same insect, and felt no pain at all, 

 probably because its venom had become exhausted, and in 

 spite of all his irritation he could not make the wasp sting 

 for the fourth time. Swammerdam made many such ex- 

 periments with bees, and even put their venom upon his 

 tongue, whereupon he experienced at first a sweet taste, 

 which soon became acrid and caustic, and so continued for 

 several hours. As blue litmus paper is not reddened by 

 this venom, it is supposed not to contain acid ; but its chem- 

 ical nature has never been satisfactorily determined. Olive- 

 oil and vinegar have been recommended as remedies for the 



