THE BEE. 



801 



method demands a history of bees, that they 

 are unfurnished with those materials which 

 have induced so many observers to contradict 

 so great a naturalist His life was spent in 

 the contemplation; and it requires an equal 

 share of attention, to prove the error of his 

 discoveries. Without entering, therefore, 

 into the dispute, I will take him for my guide; 

 and just mention, as f go along, those parti* 

 culars in which succeeding observers have 

 begun to think him erroneous. Which of 

 the two are right, time only can discover; 

 for my part, I have only heard one side, for 

 as yet none have been so bold as openly to 

 oppose Reaumur's delightful researches. 



There are three different kinds of bees in 

 every hive. First, the labouring bees, which 

 make up the far greatest number, and are 

 thought to be neither male nor female, but 

 merely born for the purposes of labour, and 

 continuing the breed, by supplying the 

 young with provision, while yet in their help- 

 less state. The second sort are the drones; 

 they are of a darker colour, longer, and more 

 thick by one-third than the former; they are 

 supposed to be the males; and there is not 

 above a hundred of them in a hive of seven 

 or eight thousand bees. The third sort is 

 much larger than either of the former, and 

 stil! fewer in number; some assert that there 

 is not above one in every swarm: but this 

 later observers affirm not to be true, there 

 being sometimes five or six in the same hive. 

 These are called queen bees, and are said to 

 lay all the eggs from which the whole swarm 

 is hatched in a season. 



In examining the structure of the Common 

 working bee, the first remarkable part that 

 offers is the trunk, which serves to extract 

 the honey from flowers. It is not formed, 

 tike that of other flies, in the manner of a 

 tube, by which the fluid is to be sucked up; 

 but like a besom to sweep, or a tongue to 

 lick it away. The animal is furnished also 

 with teeth, which serve it in making wax. 

 This substance is gathered from flowers, like 

 honey ; it consists of that dust or farina which 

 contribute to the fecundation of plants, and 

 is moulded into wax by the little animal at 

 leisure. Every bee, when it Iv-ives th" hive 

 to -'ollect this precious sto>- enter?, into the 

 cup of the flower, particularly such as seem 



charged with the greatest quantities of this 

 yellow farina. As the animal's body is cover- 

 ed over with hair, it rolls itself within the 

 flower, and soon becomes quite covered with 

 the dust, which it soon after brushes off with 

 its two hind-legs, and kneads into two little 

 balls. In the thighs of the hind-legs there 

 are two cavities, edged with hair, and into 

 these, as into a basket, the animal sticks its 

 pellets. Thus employed, the bee flies from 

 flower to flower, increasing its store, and 

 adding to its stock of wax; until the ball 

 upon each thigh becomes as big as a grain of 

 pepper: by this time, having got a sufficient 

 load, it returns, making the best of its way to 

 the hive. 



The belly of the bee is divided into six 

 rings, which sometimes shorten the body, by 

 slipping one over the other. It contains 

 within it, beside the intestines, the honey-bag, 

 the venom-bag, and the sting. The honey- 

 bag is as transparent as crystal, containing 

 the honey that the bee has brushed from the 

 flowers; of which the greater part is carried 

 to the hive, and poured into the cells of the 

 honey-comb, while the remainder serves for 

 the bee's own nourishment; for during sum- 

 mer, it never touches what has been laid up 

 for winter. The sting which serves to defend 

 this little animal from its enemies, is composed 

 of three pnrts; the sheath and two darts, 

 which are extremely small and penetrating. 

 Both the darts have several small points or 

 barbs, like those of a fish-hook, which render 

 the sting more painful, and makes the darts 

 rankle in the wound. Still, however, this in- 

 strument would be very slight, did not the 

 bee poison the wound. The sheath, which 

 has a sharp point, makes the first impression; 

 which is followed by that of the darts, and 

 then the venomous liquor is poured in. The 

 sheath sometimes sticks so fast in the wound, 

 that the animal is obliged to leave it behind ; 

 by which the bee soon after dies, and the 

 wound is considerably inflamed. It might at 

 first appear well for mankind, if the bee were 

 without its sting; but, upon recollection, it 

 will be found, that the little animal would 

 then have too many rivals in sharing its 

 labours. A hundred other lazy animals fond 

 of honey, and hating labour, would intrude 

 upon the sweets of the hive ; and the treasure 





