DISEASES OF BEES. 197 



eat with their honey. We have no evidence that 

 pollen constitutes any part of the food of adult 

 bees ; and if it did, they have generally opportu- 

 nities of storing it very abundantly, in the autumn, 

 as well as in the spring : and such is the provident 

 industry of bees, that a considerable surplus is 

 always found in every stock-hive. 



WILDMAN and HUISH recommend salt for pre- 

 serving the health of bees ; and their frequenting 

 stable drains and other receptacles of urine gives 

 countenance to this recommendation, as it seems 

 probable that the saline matter contained in 

 those fluids attracts the bees, their desire for it 

 overcoming that repugnance to offensive odours 

 which would otherwise occasion them to avoid 

 such places. Even fresh urine has been recom- 

 mended by RANCONI, an Italian author, in case 

 the bees should be attacked by dysentery ; in all 

 probability a weak solution of salt would be more 

 acceptable and equally efficacious. I always in- 

 troduce a small portion of it into the syrup with 

 which I feed my bees. KEYS says that they are 

 not fond of salt. Vide Page 186. 



I will close this chapter on the Diseases of 

 Bees with an extract from Nicholson's Journal, 

 vol. xxiii. p. 234 : Scientific Intelligence. 



" A large swarm of bees having settled on a 

 branch of the poison ash, (Rhus Vernix^) in the 

 county of West Chester in America, was taken 



