160 of? neES AND HONEr- 



Bhalesperrre, from whom wc have already quoted, supplier 

 another thought in this connexion, — - 



"The Honey bags steal from the humble bees, 

 And, for night Tirpers, crop their waxen thighs, 

 And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes.'' 



31id'Summer NighCs Dream. 



And again, 



" Like the Bee', tolling frora flower to flower, 



The virtuous sweets ; 



Our thif;l}s paeked with wax, our mouths with horvey, 



We bring it to the Hive." — Henry IV. 



The working-bees have, further, a honey-bag, in shape like' 

 a tapering oil-flask. This, when full, is about the size of a) 

 small pea. The honey, whieh it contains, is, in part, deliver- 

 ed up into the lioney-cells of the hive, for winter use, in part,- 

 goes into the general system of the bee for its nourishment,, 

 and a portion is converted into wax, which is afterwards ex-^ 

 uded in scales, betiveen the rings of the abdomen. For their 

 personal defence and the defence of their home and hive, and 

 jts right precious contents of queen, and young, and honey, 

 they are furnished with a most powerful sting, in the use and 

 application of which they are eminently apt, as your Commit- 

 tee have had pungent experience, and can testify thereto. This 

 sting is complex and two-fold, being a horny scabbard, en- 

 closing two bearded darts, along the groove between which, 

 is ejected a venomous fluid acutely poisonous. This poison is 

 a chemical acid, which may be neutralized and rendered harm- 

 less, by the early application of any alkali, such as pearl-ash, 

 or saleratus dissolved in warm water. The bee seldom stings,- 

 except about home, and here its watchful jealousy against in- 

 truders, keeps it constantly " primed and loaded," and ready 

 for fight. Yet, if they get wonted to the visits of the keeper, 

 or to frequent visitors, they are much less apt to sting, than if 

 left wholly unused to such visits. In fact, if visited frequent- 

 ly, by persons who move about the premises carefully and 

 quietly, and who are cleanly in their habits, and have no pe- 

 culiarly strong human odor, and who are careful not to 

 BREATHE UPON THEM, they arc, ou the whole, a tolerably 

 peaceable and gentlemanly crowd. Never strike at them } 



