WAX. 57 



importance both in summer and in winter. For, if it 

 readily both absorbed and radiated heat, the temper- 

 ature would, in the former season, become too high ; 

 while, in the winter, too great effort, and a large 

 additional amount of food, would be needed by the 

 bees to keep up the temperature of the hive to a 

 point of safety for its inhabitants. Again, wax is a 

 material which, by means of propolis (of which we 

 shall presently speak), admits of being fastened in 

 position so securely as to be able to bear a great 

 weight of brood, honey, and bee-bread, in the 

 cells. 



The organs by which wax is secreted, and the 

 implements with which it is fashioned, will be de- 

 scribed fully in the chapter devoted to the physiology 

 and anatomy of the bee ; but we may say here that 

 they are exceedingly simple, and that it is wonderful 

 such beautiful work can be accomplished by means 

 of them. 



But the manner in which comb-building is done 

 is so marvellous, that it merits a detailed description. 

 It is to Huber that we are indebted for the full 

 exposition of this subject, and we cannot do better 

 than quote his account of the process, as given by 

 Kirby and Spence. We must premise, however, that 

 the great naturalist thought there were two distinct 

 classes of workers, the one of which he called the 

 wax-makers ; the other, the nurse-bees. Observations 

 continued since his day have rendered it certain that 

 this is a mistaken distinction. As a general rule 

 the care of the young devolves, as we have already 

 said, on the most recently hatched of the community, 

 who are unfit, for some days after emerging from the 



