244< THE PHILOSOPHY 



to {horten their journey when working, they leave feveral 

 round crofs pafTages, which are always covered. 



Hitherto we have chiefly taken notice of the manner in 

 "which bees conftrudt and pohfh their cells, without treating 

 of the materials they employ. We have not marked the dif- 

 ference between the crude matter collected from flowers and 

 the true wax. Every body knows that bees carry into their 

 hives, by means of their hind thighs, great quantities of the 

 farina or duil of flowers. After many experiments made by 

 Reaumur, with a view to difcover whether this dufl: contain- 

 ed real wax, he was obliged to acknowledge, that he could 

 never find that wax formed any part of its compofltion. He 

 at length difcovered, that wax was not a fubftance produced 

 by the mixture of farina with any glutinous fubfliance, nor 

 by trituration, or any mechanical operation. By long and 

 attentive obfervation, he found that the bees actually eat the 

 farina which they fo induftrioufly colle^l •, and that this fari- 

 na, by an animal procefs, is converted into wax. This di- 

 geftive procefs, which is neceflary to the form.ation of wax, 

 is carried on in the fecond fl:omach, and perhaps in the intef- 

 tines of bees. After knowing the place where this operation 

 is performed, chymifts will probably allow, that it is equally 

 difficult to make real wax with the farina of flowers, as to 

 make chyle with animal or vegetable fubftances, a work 

 which is daily executed by our own ftomach and intefl:ines, 

 and by thofe of other animals. Reaumur likewife difcover- 

 ed, that all the cells in a hive were not deftined for the re- 

 ception of honey, and for depoliting the eggs of the female, 

 but that fome of them were employed as receptacles for the 

 farina of flowers, a fpecies of food that bees find necefl^ary 

 for the formation of wax, which is the great bafls and raw 

 material of all their curious operations. When a bee come« 

 to the hive with its thighs filled with farina, it is often met 

 near the entrance by fome of its companions, who firfl: take 



