PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 387 



with it arrives at the hive, she sometimes stops at the entrance, and very 

 leisurely detaches it by piecemeal, devours one or both the pellets on her 

 legs, chewing them with her jaws, and passing them then down the little 

 orifice before noticed. Sometimes she enters the hive, and walks upon the 

 combs ; and whether she walks or stands, still keeps beating her wings. 

 By the noise thus produced, which seems a call to some of her fellow- 

 citizens, three or four go to her, and placing themselves round her, begin 

 to lighten her of her load, each taking and devouring a small portion of her 

 ambrosia ; this they repeat if more do not arrive to assist them, three or 

 four times, till the whole is disposed of. 1 Wildman observed them on this 

 occasion supporting themselves upon their two fore feet; and making several 

 motions with their wings and body to the right and left, which produced 

 the sound that summoned their assistants. 2 This bee-bread, as I said 

 before, is generally found in the second stomach and intestines, but the 

 honey never ; which induced Reaumur to think (but he was mistaken) 

 that the bees elaborated wax from it : and he observes that the bees de- 

 vour this when they are busily engaged in constructing combs. 3 When 

 more pollen is collected than the bees have immediate occasion for, they 

 store it up in some of the empty cells. The laden bee puts her two hind 

 legs into the cell, and with the intermediate pair pushes off the pellets. 

 When this is done, she, or another bee if she is too much fatigued with her 

 day's labours, enters the cell with her head first, and remains there some 

 time : she is engaged in diluting the pellets, kneading them, and packing 

 them close ; and so they proceed, till the cell is filled. 4 A large portion of 

 the cells of some combs are filled with this bread, which one while is found 

 in insulated cells, at another in cells amongst those that are filled with 

 honey or brood. Thus it is everywhere at hand for use. 5 



You have seen how the bees collect and employ two of the materials 

 that I mentioned ; I must now advert to the third the Propolis. Huber 

 was a long time uncertain from whence the bees procured this gummy 

 resin ; but it at last occurred to him to plant some cuttings of a species of 

 poplar (before their leaves were developed, when their leaf-buds were 

 swelling and besmeared and filled with a viscid juice) in some pots which 

 he placed in the way of the bees that went from his hives. Almost imme- 

 diately a bee alighted upon a twig, and soon with its mandibles opened a 

 bud, and drew from it a thread of the viscid matter which it contained ; 

 with one of its second pair of legs it took it from the mouth, and placed 

 it in the basket : thus it proceeded till it had given them both their load. 6 

 I have myself seen bees very busy collecting it from the Tacamahaca 

 (Populus balsamifera). But this is an old discovery, confirmed by recent 

 observation ; for Mouffet tells us, from Cordus, that it is collected from 

 the gems of the trees, instancing the poplar and the birch. 7 Riem observes 

 that it is also collected from the pine and fir. The propolis is soft, red, will 

 pull out in a thread, is aromatic, and imparts a gold colour to white polished 

 metals. It is employed in the hive not only in finishing the combs, as I 

 related in my letter on Habitations ; but also in stopping every chink or 



1 Reaum. v. 418. 2 Ibid. v. p. 38. 5 Ubi supra, 419. 



4 Compare Reaum. 420., and Huber, ii. 24., with Wildman, 40. 



5 For much valuable information on the economy of bees, the reader will do well 

 to consult Dr. Bevan's very interesting work on the Honey Bee. 



6 Huber, ii. 260. 



7 Insect. Theatr. 86. Schirach. 241. 



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