INSECTS. BEETLES. 315 



by some peculiar chemical process of its own ; the proboscis tapers off 

 to a little nipple-like extremity. At its base may be seen two shorter 

 and stronger mandibles, serving the little insects for tools in construct- 

 ing their cells ; from between these is protruded a long and narrow 

 tongue or lance ; the whole most ingeniously connected to the head by 

 a cartilaginous structure, with a series of muscles and ligaments. The 

 proboscis being cylindrical, extracts the juice of the flower in a some- 

 what similar way to that of the butterfly ; when loaded with honey, 

 the next care is to fill the very ingenious pockets situated in its hind- 

 legs (one of which is shown at No. 2) with bee-bread ; when* these little 

 pockets are filled with as much pollen as the bee can conveniently carry, 

 it flies back to the hive with its valuable load, where the bee is speedily 

 assisted to unload by its fellow- workers ; and the pollen is at once 

 kneaded and packed close in the cells provided for its preservation. 

 The quantity of this collected in one day by a single hive during 

 favourable weather is said to be at least a pound ; this seems to consti- 

 tute the food of the working-bees in the hive. The wax is another 

 secretion exuding from the skin of the insect, and is found in little 

 pouches in the under-part of the body ; it is not collected and brought 

 home ready for use, as has been generally supposed. The waxen walls 

 of the cells are, when completed, strengthened by a varnish, called pro- 

 polis, collected from the buds of the poplar and other trees, and be- 

 smeared over them by the wonderful apparatus we have shown in the 

 engraving. If a bee is attentively observed when it has placed itself 

 upon a flower, the activity and promptitude with which it uses this 

 apparatus is truly surprising. It lengthens it, applies it to the bottom 

 of the petals, then shortens it, bending and turning it in all possible 

 directions, for the purpose of exploring the interior, and removing the 

 whole of the pollen. In the words of Brook : 



" The dainty suckle and the fragrant thyme, 

 By chemical reduction they sublime ; 

 Their sweets with bland attempering suction strain/ 

 And curious through their neat alembics drain ; 

 Imbib'd recluse, the pure secretions glide, 

 And vital warmth concocts th' ambrosial tide." 



BEETLES. 



The leading characteristic of the vast order of Coleoptera, or Beetles, 

 consists in the leathery or horny texture of the anterior wings (elytra}^ 

 which serve as sheaths for the posterior wings in repose, and generally 

 meet in a straight line down the back. 



