OF NATURAL HISTORY. 847 



birches, and the willows. It is a complete production of 

 Nature, and requires no addition or manufadlure from the 

 animals by which it is employed. After a bee has procured 

 a quantity fufficient to fill the cavities in its two hind thighs, 

 it repairs to the hive. Two of its companions inftantly 

 draw out the propolis, and apply it to fill up fuch chinks, 

 holes, or other deficiencies, as they find in their habitation. 

 But this is not the only ufe to which bees apply the propo- 

 lis. They are extremely felicitous to remove fuch infecls or 

 foreign bodies as happen to get admiflion into the hive. 

 When fo light as not to exceed their powers, they firfl kill 

 the infecl with their ftings, and then drag it out with their 

 teeth. But it fometimes happens that an ill-fated fnail creeps 

 into the hive. It is no fooner perceived than it is attacked 

 on all lides and ftung to death. But how are the bees to 

 carry out a burden of fuch weight ^ This labour they know 

 would be in vain. They are perhaps apprehenfive that a 

 body fo large would difFufe, in the courfe of its putrefadlion, 

 a difagreeable or noxious odour through the hive. To pre- 

 vent fuch hurtful confequences, immediately after the ani- 

 mal's death, they embalm it, by covering every part of its 

 body with propolis, through v/hich no efHuvia can efcape. 

 When a fnail with a fliell gets entrance, to difpofe of it gives 

 much lefs trouble and expence to the bees. As foon as this, 

 kind of fnail receives the firft vvound from a fting, it natural- 

 ly retires within its fliell. In this cafe, the bees, inftead of 

 pafting it all over with propolis, content themfelves with 

 gluing all round the margin of the fliell, which is fufficient 

 to render the animal, forever iaimoveably fixed. 



But propolis, and the materials for making wax, are not 

 the only fubftances tliefe induflrious animals have to coUedl. 

 As formerly remarked, befide the whole winter, there are 

 many days in fummer in which the bees are prevented by 

 the wejither from going abroad in quefl of provifions. They 



