60 THE HONEY-BEE. 



circumference to be exposed to the action of its man- 

 dibles (or jaws), so that the margin is soon gnawed 

 into pieces^ which drop as they are detached into the 

 double cavity, bordered with hairs, of the mandibles 

 (jaws). These fragments, pressed by others newly 

 separated, fall on one side of the mouth, and issue 

 from it in the form of a narrow riband. They are 

 then presented to the tongue, which impregnates 

 them with a frothy liquor like a bouilli. During this 

 operation the tongue assumes all sorts of forms ; 

 sometimes it is flattened like a spatula, then like a 

 trowel, which applies itself to the riband of wax. At 

 other times it resembles a pencil terminating in a 

 point. After having moistened the whole of the 

 riband, the tongue pushes it to make it re-enter the 

 mandibles, but in an opposite direction, where it is 

 worked up anew. The liquor mixed with the wax 

 communicates to it a whiteness and opacity which it 

 had not before ; and the object of this mixture, which 

 did not escape the observation of Reaumur, is, 

 doubtless, to give it that ductility and tenacity which 

 it possesses in its perfect state. 



" The foundress-bee the name which this first be- 

 ginner of a comb deserves next applies these pre- 

 pared parcels of wax against the vault (or top of a 

 frame) of the hive, disposing them with the point of her 

 mandibles in the direction which she wishes them to 

 take; and she continues these manoeuvres until she 

 has employed the whole lamina that she had separated 

 from her body, when she takes a second, proceeding 

 in the same manner. She gives herself no care to 

 compress the molecules of wax which she has heaped 

 together. She is satisfied if they adhere to each 



