HONEY-BEE. 189 



and by those of other animals. Reaumur likewise discovered, 

 that all the cells in a hive were not destined for the reception 

 of honey and for depositing the eggs of the female, but that 

 some of them were employed as receptacles for the farina of 

 flowers, a species of food that bees find necessary for the 

 formation of wax, which is the great basis and raw material 

 of all their curious operations. When a bee comes to the 

 hive with its thighs filled with farina, it is often met near the 

 entrance by some of its companions, who first take off the 

 load, and then devour the provisions so kindly brought them. 

 But, when none of the bees employed in the I ve are hungry 

 for this species of food, the carriers of the farina deposit their 

 loads in cells prepared for that purpose. To these cells the 

 bees resort, when the weather is so bad that they cannot ven- 

 ture to go to the fields in quest of fresh provisions. The car- 

 rying bees, however, commonly enter the hive loaded with 

 farina. They walk along the combs, beating and making a 

 noise with their wings. By these movements they seem to 

 announce their arrival to their companions. No sooner has 

 a loaded bee made these movements, than three or four of 

 those within leave their work, come up to it, and first take 

 off its load, and then eat the materials it has brought. As a 

 further evidence that the bees actually eat the farina of flow- 

 ers, when the stomach and intestines are laid open, they are 

 often found to be filled with this dust, the grains of which, 

 when examined by the microscope, have the exact figure, 

 color, and consistence of farina, taken from the antherae of 

 particular flowers. After the farina is digested, and converted 

 into wax, the bees possess the power of bringing it from their 

 stomachs to their mouths. The instrument they employ in 

 furnishing materials for constructing their waxen cells is 

 their tongue. This tongue is situated below the two teeth 

 or fangs. When at work, the tongue may be seen by the 

 assistance of a lens and a glass hive. It is then in perpetual 

 motion, and its motions are extremely rapid. Its figure con- 

 tinually varies. Sometimes it is more sharp ; at others it is 

 flatter ; and sometimes it is more or less concave, and partly 

 covered with a moist paste or wax. By the different move- 

 ments of its tongue, the bee continues to supply fresh wax to 

 the two teeth, which are employed in raising and fashioning* 

 the walls of its cell, till they have acquired a sufficient height. 

 As soon as the moist paste or wax dries, which it does almost 

 instantaneously, it then assumes all the appearances and qual- 

 ities of common wax. There is a still stronger proof that 



