Hive-Sees. 121 



fragments of 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 hive gently, and powdered the workers, 

 for the purpose of recognising them when they should ascend 

 the combs. He observed them during several hours, and by 

 this means ascertained that they took so great a quantity of 

 pollen only to impart it to their young. Then withdrawing 

 the portions of comb which had been placed by us on the 

 board of the hive, we saw that the pollen had been sensibly 

 diminished in quantity. They were returned to the bees, to 

 augment their provision still further, for the purpose of 

 extending the experiment. The royal, as well as several 

 common, cells were soon closed ; and, on opening the hive, 

 all the worms were found to have prospered. Some still had 

 their food before them ; the cells of others that had spun 

 were shut with a waxen covering. 



"We witnessed these facts repeatedly, and always with 

 equal interest. They so decisively prove the regard of the 

 bees towards the grubs which they are intrusted with rearing, 

 that we shall not seek for any other explanation of their 

 conduct. Another fact, no less extraordinary, and much 

 more difficult to be accounted for, was exhibited by bees 

 constrained to work in wax, several times successively, from 

 the syrup of sugar. Towards the close of the experiment they 

 ceased to feed the young, though in the beginning these had 

 received the usual attention. They even frequently dragged 

 them from their cells, and carried them out of the hive."* 



Mr. Wiston, of Germantown, in the United States, mentions 

 * Hiibor on Bees. 



