516 



HISTORY OF INSECTS. 



by the little animal at leisure. Every bee, 

 when it leaves the hive to collect this precious 

 store, enters into the cup of the flower, parti- 

 cularly such as seem charged with the great- 

 est quantities of this yellow farina. As the 

 animal's body is covered over with hair, it 

 rolls itself within the flower, and soon becomes 

 quite covered with the dust, which it soon af- 

 ter 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. 1 



1 The celebrated John Hunter shrewdly remarked 

 that the pellets of pollen seen on the thighs of bees are 

 of different colours on different bees, while the shade of 

 the new-made comb is always uniform ; and therefore he 

 concluded that pollen was not the origin of wax. Pol- 

 len also, he observed, is collected with greater avidity for 

 old hives, where the comb is complete, than for those 

 where it is only begun, which would hardly be the case 

 were it the material of wax. He found that when the 

 r weather was cold and wet in June, so that a young 

 swarm was prevented from going abroad, as much comb 

 was constructed as had been made in an equal time 

 when the weather was favourable and fine. The pellets 

 of pollen on the thighs being thence proved not to be wax, 

 he came to the conclusion that it was an external secre- 

 tion originating between the plates of the belly. When 

 he first observed this, he felt not a little embarrassed to 

 explain the phenomenon, and doubted whether new 

 plates were forming, or whether bees cast the old ones 

 as lobsters do their shells. By melting the scales, he 

 ascertained at least that they were wax; and his opinion 

 ivas confirmed by the fact, that the scales are only to be 

 found during the season when the combs are constructed. 

 But he did not succeed in completing the discovery by 

 observing the bees actually detach the scales, though he 

 conjectured they might be taken up by others, if they 

 were once shaken out from between the rings. 



That wax is secreted, is proved both by the wax 

 pouches within the rings of the abdomen, and by actual 

 experiment. Huber and others fed bees entirely upon 

 honey or sugar, and, notwithstanding, wax was produced 

 and combs formed as if they had been at liberty to select 

 their food. " When bees were confined," says M. Hu- 

 ber, " for the purpose of discovering whether honey was 

 sufficient for the production of wax, they supported their 

 captivity patiently, and showed uncommon perseverance 

 in rebuilding their combs as we removed them. Our 

 experiments required the presence of grubs; honey and 

 water had to be provided; the bees were to be supplied 

 with combs containing brood, and at the same time it 

 was necessary to confine them, that they might not seek 

 pollen abroad. Having a swarm by chance, which had 

 become useless from the sterility of the queen, we devo- 

 ted it for our investigation in one of my leaf hives, which 

 was glazed on both sides. We removed the queen, and 

 substituted combs containing eggs and young grubs, but 

 no cell with farina; even the smallest particle of the 

 substance which John Hunter conjectured to be the ba- 

 sis of the nutriment of the young was taken away. No- 

 thing remarkable occurred during the first and second 

 day: the bees brooded over the young, and seemed to 



The belly of the bee is divided into six 

 rings, which sometimes shorten the body, by 

 slipping one over the other. It contains with- 

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



take an interest in them; but at sunset, on the third, a 

 loud noise was heard in the hive. Impatient to discover 

 the reason, we opened a shutter, and saw all in confusion ; 

 the brood was abandoned; the workers ran in disorder 

 over the combs; thousands rushed towards the lower part 

 of the hive ; and those about the entrance gnawed at its 

 grating. Their design was not equivocal; they wished 

 to quit their prison. Some imperious necessity evidently 

 obliged them to seek elsewhere what they could not find 

 in the hive; and apprehensive that they might perish if 

 I restrained them longer from yielding to their instinct, 

 I set them at liberty. The whole swarm escaped ; but 

 the hour being unfavourable for their collections, they 

 flew around the hive, and did not depart from it. In- 

 creasing darkness and the coolness of the air compelled 

 them very soon to return. Probably these circumstances 

 calmed their agitation ; for we observed them peaceably 

 remounting their combs; order seemed re-established, 

 and we took advantage of this moment to close the hive. 

 Next day, the 19th of July, we saw the rudiments of 

 two royal cells, which the bees had lormed on one of the 

 brood combs. This evening, at the same hour as on the 

 preceding, we again heard a loud buzzing in the closed 

 hive ; agitation and disorder rose to the highest degree, 

 and we were again obliged to let the swarm escape. 

 The bees did not remain long absent from their habita- 

 tion ; they quieted and returned as before. We re- 

 marked on the 20th, that the royal cells had not been 

 continued, as would have been the case in the ordinary 

 state of things. A great tumult took place in the even- 

 ing ; the bees appeared to be in a delirium ; we set them 

 at liberty, and order was restored on their return. Their 

 captivity having endured five days, we thought it need- 

 less to protract it farther ; besides, we were desirous of 

 knowing, whether the brood was in a suitable condition, 

 and if it had made the usual progress ; and we wished 

 also to try to discover what might be the cause of the perio- 

 dical agitation of the bees. M. Burnens (the assistant 

 of Huber) having exposed the two brood combs, the royal 

 cells were immediately recognized; but it was obvious 

 that they had not been enlarged. Why should they ? 

 Neither eggs, grubs, nor that kind of paste peculiar to the 

 individuals of their species, were there ! The other 

 cells were vacant likewise ; no brood, not an atom of 

 paste was in them. Thus the worms had died of hun- 

 ger. Had we precluded the bees from all means of sus- 

 tenance by removing the farina ? To decide this point, 

 it was necessary to confide other broods to the care of the 

 same insects, now giving them abundance of pollen. 

 They had not been enabled to make any collections while 

 we examined their combs. On this occasion they es- 

 caped in an apartment where the windows were shut ; 

 and after substituting young worms for those they had 

 allowed to perish, we returned them to their prison. 

 Next day we remarked that they had resumed courage ; 

 they had consolidated the combs, and remained on the 

 brood. They were then provided with fragments ol 

 combs, where other workers had stored up farina ; and to 

 be able to observe what they did with it, we took this 

 substance from some of their cells, and spread it on. the 

 board of the hive. The bees soon discovered both the 

 farina in the combs and what we had exposed to them. 

 They crowded to the cells, and also descending to the 

 bottom of the hives, took the pollen grain by grain in 

 their teeth, and conveyed it to their mouths. Those that 

 had eaten it most greedily, mounted the combs before 

 the rest, and stopping on the cells of the young worms, 

 inserted their heads, and remained there for a certain 

 time. M. Burnens opened one of the divisions of the 



