328 INSTINCTS OF BEES. 



constrained and irksome position, they were re- 

 lieved by their comrades ; even the queen assisted. 

 Having kept the bees in this state till nearly the 

 end of the third day, and shown them to several 

 persons, Huber introduced some honey, to enable 

 them to form wax : they soon constructed pillars, 

 extending from the most projecting parts of the 

 cell- work to the table, and kept the cell- work 

 in a firm position. The wax, however, getting 

 gradually dry, the pillars gave way ; when the poor 

 insects adopted their former straining expedient 

 for steadying the comb, and continued, perseve- 

 ringly, to sustain it in this manner, till Huber took 

 pity on them and glued the cake of comb firmly 

 to the table. Could the most intelligent architect 

 have more judiciously propped a tottering edifice, 

 till adequate supports could be applied ? 



The resources of bees, when attacked by the 

 Sphinx Atropos or Death's head hawk-moth are 

 much in point. In this case, according to HUBER, 

 they construct small archways and various other 

 ingenious barricadoes, with a mixture of wax and 

 propolis, so as just to allow the egress and ingress 

 of one or two workers, and effectually to exclude 

 their marauding enemy. The bees do not, as if 

 guided by mere instinct, commence their fortifica- 

 tions on the first attack of the Sphinx, nor until 

 they have been robbed of nearly their whole stock 



