PROPOLIS. 375 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

 PROPOLIS. 



BESIDES the honey and pollen which are ga- 

 thered by bees, they collect a resinous substance, 

 that is very tenacious, semitransparent, and which 

 gives out a balsamic odour, somewhat resem- 

 bling that of storax. In the mass, it is of a red- 

 dish brown colour; when broken, its colour ap- 

 proaches that of wax. Dissolved in spirit of 

 wine or oil of turpentine, it imparts, as varnish, 

 a golden colour to silver, tin, and other white 

 polished metals. Being supposed to possess 

 medicinal virtue, it was formerly kept in the 

 shop of the apothecary. According to Vauquelin, 

 propolis consists of one part of wax and four of 

 pure resin; in which respect, and in its yield- 

 ing the same acid, (the benzole,) it resembles bal- 

 sam Peru. It also contains some aromatic prin- 

 ciples. 



With propolis, bees attach the combs to the roof 

 and sides of their dwelling, stop crevices, fasten 

 the hives or boxes to the floors and roofs, strength- 

 en the weak places of their domicile, and varnish 

 the cell-work of their combs. The chapter on 

 Instincts details the modes in which bees employ 

 it for their protection against intruders into their 



