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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



between them. It is to be remarked that 

 though the general form of the cells is hex- 

 agonal, that of those first begun is pentago- 

 nal, the side next the top of the hive, and 

 by which the comb is attached, being much 

 broader than the rest, whence the comb is 

 more strongly united to the hive, than if 

 these cells were of the ordinary shape. It, 

 of course, follows that the base of these 

 cells, instead of being formed like those of 

 the hexagonal cells, of three rhomboids, 

 consist of one rhomboid and two trapez- 

 iums. 



The form of a new comb is lenticular, its 

 thickness always diminishing towards the 

 edges. This gradation is constantly ob- 

 servable, whilst it keeps enlarging in cir- 

 cumference; but as soon as the bees get 

 sufficient space to lengthen it, it begins to 

 lose this form and to assume parallel sur- 

 faces; it has then received the shape which 

 it will always preserve. 



The bees appear to give the proper forms 

 to the bottoms of the cells, by means of 

 their antennfe, which extraordinary organs 

 they seem to employ as directors, by which 

 their other instruments are instructed 

 to execute a very complete work. They 

 do not remove a single particle of wax 

 until the antennpe have explored the sur- 

 face that is to be sculptured. By the use 

 of these organs, which are so flexible and 

 so readily applied to all parts, however deli- 

 cate, that they can perform the functions of 

 compasses in measuring very minute ob- 

 jects, they can work in the dark, and raise 

 these wonderful combs, the first production 

 of insects. 



Every part of the work appears a natural 

 consequence of that which precedes it, so 

 that chance has no share in the admirable 

 results witnessed. The bees cannot (le|)art 

 from their prescribed route, excei)t in con- 

 sequence of particular circumstances, which 

 alter the basis of their labor. The original 

 mass of wax is never augmented, but by an 

 uniform quantity; and what is most aston- 

 ishing, this augmentation is made by the 

 wax makers, who are the depositories of 

 the primary matter, and possess not the art 

 of sculpturing the cells. 



The bees never begin two masses for 

 combs at the same time; but scarcely are 

 some rows of cells constructed in the first, 

 when two otlier masses, one of each side of 

 it, are established at e(Hial distances from 

 it, and ])arallcl to it, and then again two 

 more exterior to these. The combs are al- 

 ways enlarged and lengthened in a progres- 

 sioHj proportioned to the priority of their 

 origni, the middle comb being constantly 

 advanced beyond the two adjoining ones by 

 some rows of cells, and they beyond those 

 that are exterior to them. Was it i)ennitted 

 to these insects to lay the foundation of all 

 their combs at the same time, they could 

 not be placed conveniently or parallel to 

 each other. So with respect to the cells, 

 the first cavity determines the place of all 

 that succeed it. 



A large number of bees work at the same 

 time on the same comb; but they are not 

 moved to it by a simultaneous, but'by a suc- 

 cessive impulse. A single bee begins every 

 partial operation, and many others in suc- 

 cession add their efforts to hers, each ap- 

 pearing to act individually in a direction 

 impressed either by the workers who have 



E receded it, or by the condition in which it 

 lids the work. The whole population of 



wax workers is in a state of the most com- 

 plete inaction, till one bee goes forth to lay 

 the foundations of the first comb. Im- 

 mediately others second her intentions, ad- 

 ding to the height and length of the mass; 

 and when they cease to act, a bee, if the 

 term may be used, of another profession, 

 one of the nurse bees, goes to form the draft 

 of the first cell in which she is succeeded 

 by others. 

 "So work tlie honey bees, 

 Creatures that by a rule in Nature, teach 

 The art of order to a peopled kingdom." 

 —Shakespeare. 



From the English Manual of Bee-Keeping. 



Effects of Stings. 



Mr. G. Walker, of Wimbledon, has re- 

 corded an experiment he made on himself 

 to try how long, and how many stings, it 

 would require to get inoculated. He gives 

 the ^following as the modus operandi and 

 result, viz: — 



I went to one of my hives, caught a bee, 

 placed it on my wrist, and allowed it to 

 sting me, taking care that I received the 

 largest amount of poison by preventing it 

 from going away at once; then 1 let the 

 poison-bag work, which it does for some 

 time after being separated from the bee. 

 The first day I only stung myself twice, A 

 bee sting has always had a very bad and in- 

 jurious effect on me, inasmuch as it has al- 

 ways caused a great amount of swelling and 

 pain; in fact, once Avhen stung on my ear, 

 the part became so painful and swollen that 

 I hardly got any sleep the following niglit, 

 and it was three days before I recovered. 

 The first few stings I got during this ex- 

 periment had the usual efi:'ect; the Whole of 

 my fore-arm was affected with a cutaneous 

 erysipelas, and there was disorder of the 

 muscular nerves, accompanied with heat, 

 redness, swelling and pain. This attack 

 lasted till Tuesday, and on Wednesday 

 (October Tth) I was so far recovered that, 

 following the same plan, I stung myself 

 three times more also on the wrist. The 

 attack of erysipelas this time was not near- 

 ly so severe; but, as before, I felt a sting- 

 ing sensation as far u]i as my shoulder, and 

 I noticed that a lymphatic gland behind my 

 ear had increased considerably in size, the 

 poison being taken up by the lymphatic 

 system. On Saturday (October 10th) I again 

 treated myself to three stings, and the pain 

 was considerably less, though the swelling 

 was still extensive. At the end of the next 

 week (October 17th) 1 had had eighteen 

 stings; then I stung myself seven times 

 more tluring the next week, and I reached 

 the number of thirty-two on October olst; 

 the course of the experiment having lasted 

 nearly four weeks. After the twentieth 

 sting'there was very little swelling or pain, 

 only a slight itcliing sensation, with a small 

 amoiuit of inllamation in the innnediate 

 neighborhood of the part stung, which did 

 not spread ftuther; and 1 stung myself on 

 November 8th, without its having any effect 

 on me. 



Send Names.— Our triends will greatly 

 oblige us by sending the names of such of 

 their neighbors as keep bees and do not 

 take TiiK Amekican Bee Journal, and 

 we' will send them a sample copy. 



