IN THE FIELD 207 



frequently observed that small yellow or reddish pellets 

 adhere to the legs of bees, giving them the appearance of 

 wearing short but rather wide trousers. These pellets are 

 pollen, which the bees collect on their hairs as they creep 

 over and into flowers. They brush it off as they go along 

 and collect it in a little depression on their hind legs. 

 When the field workers come home, they simply drop the 

 pellets into cells and let the other bees pack them down 

 by kneading them with their mandibles, or outer jaws. 

 This pollen, often called beebread, mixed with honey and 

 water is fed to the brood. 



The making of wax. The little yellow pellets about 

 which we have just spoken must not be mistaken for wax. 

 The bees do not find wax ready in the flowers. The wax is 

 made from honey, and the process takes place in the bodies 

 of bees, the wax appearing in little scales between the seg- 

 ments of the abdomen. It is, so to speak, sweated out in 

 liquid form, but soon hardens on exposure to the air. The 

 bees pluck out the scales with their legs and mould them 

 into any desired shape by means of their mandibles. 



Propolis. This is a brownish substance commonly called 

 " bee glue." The bees gather it from the buds and wounds 

 of trees; they carry it just as they do pollen. It is used to 

 fasten the combs, to make the opening to the hive smaller, 

 to fill up cracks or crevices, and to varnish the whole inside 

 of their home. 



When a large brood is in the hive, some bees make fre- 

 quent trips to streams and pools to procure water, which is 

 needed in mixing the food for the brood. 



The structure of combs and cells. Bees construct four dif- 

 ferent kinds of cells : cells for breeding workers, cells for 

 breeding drones, cells for breeding queens, and cells for 

 storing honey. 



If the teacher has secured these different cells from a 



