4>f a deep black colour, except the end of 

 the abdomen, which is red or orange-co- 

 loured, more or less deep in different in- 

 dividuals. The female is of larg-e size, 

 measuring near an inch in length; the 

 male is considerably smaller; and the neu- 

 ter, or labouring bee, still smaller than the 

 male. The humble-bees in general live in 

 small societies of 40 or 60 together, in an 

 oval or roundish nest, excavated to a small 

 depth beneath the surface of the ground, 

 and formed of branches of moss, compact- 

 ed together, and lined with a kind of 

 coarse wax. In this nest, which measures 

 from four to six inches in diameter, are 

 constructed several oval cells,which,how- 

 ever, are not the work of the complete in- 

 sects, but are the cases spun by the larvae, 

 and in which they remain during their 

 state of chrysalis: the eggs are deposited 

 among heaps of a kind of coarse honey or 

 bee-bread, placed here and there at un- 

 certain intervals ; on this substance the 

 larvae feed during their growing state : 

 lastly, in every nest are placed a few near- 

 ly cylindric cells or goblets of coarse wax, 

 and filled with pure honey, on which the 

 complete insects feed. See Plate I. En- 

 tomology, fig. 4 6. For the manage- 

 ment of bees, see BEE. 



APIUM, in botany, a genus of plants, 

 including parsley, smallage, and celery. 

 Class, Pentandria Digynia ; natural order 

 of Umbellatae. Essen, character, cal. gene- 

 ral umbel of fewer rays than those of the 

 partial ; cor. general uniform ; floscules 

 almost all fertile ; petals roundish, inflex, 

 equal; stam. filaments simple ; anthers, 

 roundish ; pist. germ inferior ; seeds two, 

 ovate, striated on one side, plane on the 

 other. A. petrosolinum, or common pars- 

 ley; both the varieties are in use; but it 

 is remarked that the plane-leaved sort is 

 most commonly cultivated, though many 

 prefer the curled kind, because its leaves 

 are most easily distinguished from the 

 aethusa, or fool's parsley, a sort of hem- 

 lock, anda poisonous garden weed, which 

 while young has great resemblance to the 

 common plane-leaved parsley. Besides, 

 the curled parsley, from its having larger 

 and thicker leaves, and being curiously 

 fimbriated and curled, so as to shew full 

 and double, makes a better appearance in 

 its growth, and is more esteemed by cooks 

 for the purpose of garnishing dishes, &c. 

 It may, however, be necessary to remark, 

 that this sort, as being only a variety, is 

 liable to degenerate to the common plane 

 sort, unless particular care be taken to 

 save the seed always from the perfect, 

 full curled plants. Both the varieties are 

 propagated bv seed sown annually in 



VOL. r, 



APL 



spring, where the plants are to remain : 

 but the plants are biennials, rising from 

 seed sown in March, April; May, and 

 June. A. latifolium, or broad-leaved pars- 

 ley. The propagation of this species is 

 also by seed sown annually in February, 

 March, April, or May, where the plants 

 are to remain. For this purpose, a spot 

 of light rich earth, in an open exposure, 

 is to be preferred ; the seed being sown 

 broad-cast, and raked in, the plants gene- 

 rally appearing in about a month aft&a, 

 being sown, and in May or June the* re- 

 quire to be thinned and cleared from 

 weeds, which may be performed either by 

 hand or hoe? but the latter is most eligi- 

 ble, as it will stir and loosen the surface 

 of the earth, which maybe beneficial to 

 the plants, cutting them out to about six 

 inches distance from each other. In the 

 latter end of July, the roots will mostly 

 have attained a size proper for use, and 

 may be drawn occasionly ; but they sel- 

 dom acquire their full growth till about 

 Michaelmas. This is sometimes called 

 Hamburgh parsley, probably from its be- 

 ing much cultivated about that place. It 

 is chiefly cultivated and esteemed for its 

 large roots, which are white, and carrot- 

 shaped, being long, taper, and of down- 

 right growth, often attaining the size and 

 appearance of small or middling parsnips; 

 they boil exceedingly tender and palata- 

 ble, are very wholesome, and may be used 

 in soup or broth, or to eat like carrots and 

 parsnips, or as sauce to flesh meat. A. 

 dulce, or the common celery. The me- 

 thod of propagation in all the varieties of 

 this sort, is by sowing the seed in the 

 spring,. and when the plants have attained 

 six or eight inches in height, transplant- 

 ing them into trenches, in order to be 

 earthed up on each side as they advance 

 in growth, and have their stalks blanched 

 or whitened, to render them crisp and 

 tender. 



APLANATIC, in optics, a term applied 

 by Dr. Blair, professor of astronomy in- 

 Edinburgh, to that kind of refraction dis- 

 covered by himself, which corrects the 

 aberration of the rays of light, and the 

 colour depending upon it, in contradis- 

 tinction to the word achromatic, which 

 has been appropriated to that refraction, 

 in which there is only a partial correction 

 of colour. See OPTICS. Dr. Blair dis- 

 covered a mixture of solutions of ammo- 

 niacal and mercurial salts, and also some 

 other substances, which produced disper- 

 sions proportional to that of glass, with 

 respect to the different colours ; and he 

 constructed a compound lens, consisting 

 of a semi-convex one of crown glass, witjh 

 Nn 



