EXOTIC BEES. 211 



Transactions, states that their honey is always in 

 a fluid state, and as clear as rock water, forming 

 an agreeable beverage, which taken on an empty 

 stomach in the quantity of about half a pint, acts 

 medicinally in about two hours, but not so when 

 taken with the meals. 



There is a species of bees in Guiana which 

 gather very delicious honey, and have no stings. 

 These also construct their combs in a different 

 manner from the hive bee of our hemisphere. 

 According to Huber's translator, there are bees 

 in India that construct under the boughs of a tree 

 a single comb of very large dimensions. The 

 most interesting account of exotic bees that I 

 have met with, is in Mr. Basil Hall's highly in- 

 structive and entertaining Journal written on the 

 coasts of Chili, Peru and Mexico, in 1820, -1, and 

 -2, of which I shall here give a transcript. 



" From the Plaza, we went to a house where 

 a bee hive of the Country was opened in our 

 presence. The bees, the honey-comb, and the 

 hive, differ essentially from those in England. 

 The hive is generally made out of a log of wood 

 from two to three feet long and eight or ten 

 inches in diameter, hollowed out, and closed at 

 the ends by circular doors, cemented closely to 

 the wood, but capable of being removed at plea- 

 sure. 



" Some persons use cylindrical hives, made of 



