358 BEES-WAX. 



were the basis of the combs, an increased quan- 

 tity should be carried in. On the contrary, though 

 I have watched the bees very minutely on these 

 occasions, I scarcely ever witnessed the introduc- 

 tion of farina ; and in such rare instances as I did 

 observe it, it might fairly be regarded as food for 

 the young larvae of the bees contained in the full 

 box or boxes. 



" No pearly loads they bear ; but o'er the field 

 Round flower and fruit the lithe proboscis wield, 

 From meal-tipp'd anthers steal the lacquer* d crown, 

 And brush from rind or leaf the silvery down. 

 Nay oft, when threaten'd storms or drizzling rain, 

 Close in their walls, th' impatient hosts detain, 

 E'en from the yellow hoard's nectareous rill, 

 Their tubes secerning can a stream distil, 

 Clear and untinctur'd as the fountain wave, 

 That glides, slow trickling, thro' the crevic'd cave. 

 But, as that welling wave, around the stone, 

 In rings concentric, wreathes its sparry zone, 

 So filter'd thro' yon flutterer's folded mail, 

 Clings the cool'd WAX, and hardens to a scale." 



EVANS. 



The observations of MR. JOHN HUNTER tended 

 to confirm this view of the matter ; still more so, 

 those of M. HUBER and SON. In order to de- 

 termine the point with greater precision, Huber 

 instituted many experiments. He lodged a recent 

 swarm in a straw hive, leaving at its disposal only 

 a sufficiency of honey and water for its consump- 

 tion, and preventing it from going beyond the 



