POLLEN. 81 



supplies were often found in hives whose inmates had 

 starved, it was evident that, without honey, it could not 

 support the mature bees ; and this led former observers 

 to conclude that it served for the building of comb. Hu- 

 ber, after demonstrating that wax can be secreted from 

 an entirely different substance, soon ascertained that pollen 

 was used for the nourishment of the embryo bees. Con- 

 fining some bees to their hive without any pollen, he sup- 

 plied them with honey, eggs, and larvae. In a short time, 

 the young all perished. A fresh supply of brood being 

 given to them, with an ample allowance .of pollen, the 

 development of the larva? proceeded in the natural way. 



I had an excellent opportunity of testing the value of 

 this substance, in- the backward Spring of 1852. On the 

 5th of February, I opened a hive containing an artificial 

 swarm of the previous year, and found many of the cells 

 filled with brood. The combs being examined on the 

 23d, contained neither eggs, brood, nor bee-bread; and 

 the colony was supplied with pollen from another hive ; 

 the next day, a large number of eggs were found in the 

 cells. When this supply was exhausted, laying again 

 ceased, and was only resumed when more was furnished. 

 During the time of these experiments, the weather was so 

 unpromising, that the bees were unable to leave the hive. 



Dzierzon is of opinion that bees can furnish food for 

 their young, without pollen ; although he admits that they 

 can do it only for a short tune, and at a great expense of 

 vital energy ; just as the strength of an animal nursing its 

 young is rapidly reduced, if, for want of proper food, the 

 very substance of the mother's body must be converted 

 into milk. The experiment just described does not cor- 

 roborate this theory, but confirms Huber's view, that 

 pollen is indispensable to the development of brood. 



Gundelach, an able German Apiarian, says that if a 

 4* 



