BOOK XI. V. 15-V111. 18 



as a protection against the greed of other small 

 creatures, as they know that they are going to make 

 something that may possibly be coveted ; with the 

 same materials they also build wider gateways 

 round the structure. 



VI. The first foundations are termed by experts Three 

 commosis, the second pissoceros, the third propolis,'^ matenais. 

 between the outer cover and the wax, substances of 

 great use for medicaments. Commosis is the first 

 crust, of a bitter flavour. Pissoceros comes above it, 



as in laying on tar, as being more fluid than wax. 

 Propolis is obtained from the milder gum of vines 

 and poplars, and is made of a denser substance by 

 the addition of flowers, and though not as yet wax 

 it serves to strengthen the combs ; mth it all 

 approaches of cold or damage are blocked, and besides 

 it has itself a heavy scent, being in fact used by most 

 people as a substitute for galbanum. 



VII. Besides these things a collection is made of storeo/ 

 eriikace, which some people call sandarach and others ^°°^' 

 bee-bread ; this will serve as food for the bees while 

 they are at work, and it is often found stored up in 



the hollows of the combs, being itself also of a bitter 

 flavour, but it is produced out of spring dew of trees 

 like the gums. It is obtained in fig trees — blacker 

 in colour when an east wind is blowing and of 

 better quahty and a reddish colour when north 

 winds blow — and in the largest quantity in Greek 

 nut-trees. Menecrates says that it is a flower, but 

 he is the only authority that makes that statement. 



VIII. They make their wax from the flowers of Coiiectim o/ 

 all trees and plants except the sorrel and the 

 echinopod'' ; these are kinds of herbs. It is a mistake 

 to say that esparto grass is also an exception, because 



443 



wax. 



