134 morons. 



bees have been observed contracting, by means of 

 propolis, the entrances of their hives, and erecting 

 something resembling barricades with it, when they 

 had reason to apprehend the intrusion of the death's 

 head hawk-moth, a dangerous enemy to the honey- 

 bee, though little known in this country. The name 

 propolis* given to this substance by the ancients, 

 proves that the use the bees make of this resinous 

 exudation in fortifying their dwellings, has been long 

 known. We have one or two amusing instances re- 

 corded of a further use which their instinct has taught 

 them to make of this substance.' A shell-snail had 

 found its way into one of Reaumur's hives, and 

 fastened itself by its slime to the glass. The bees, un- 

 able to remove it, fell upon a most ingenious method, 

 and at a small expense of labour and material, of pre- 

 venting any annoyance from the intruder. They formed 

 a border of propolis round the edge of the shell, where 

 it rested on the glass, and thus fixed it immoveably. 

 A slug-snail had crawled into a hive of Maraldi's, and 

 was disposed of in a similar manner, though with 

 more violence. The bees immediately surrounded 

 it, and stung it to death. The disposal of the dead 

 body was the next consideration it was too bulky 

 to be moved by their puny efforts, but they covered 

 it all over with propolis, thus completely preventing 

 the injurious effects that might have arisen from 

 putrefaction. 



On the Formation of Swarms. The swarming 



* Propolis, compounded of the Greek words pro and polis 9 

 signifying " before the city/' . 



