THE BEE. 



156. "When more pollen has been collected than the society wants 

 for present use, it is stored up in some of the unoccupied cells. The 

 bee, laden with it, puts her two hind legs into the cell, and with 

 the intermediate pair pushes off the pellets. When this is done 

 she, or another bee if she be too much fatigued, enters the cell 

 head-foremost and remains there for some time, during which she 

 is occupied in diluting, kneading, and packing the bee-bread ; and 

 so they proceed one after another, until the cell has been well 

 packed and filled with the store of provisions. In some combs a 

 large portion of the cells is filled with this ambrosia, in others, 

 cells containing it are intermixed with those filled with honey or 

 with bread. It is thus everywhere at hand for use.* 



The propolis, the third object of bee industry, is collected from 

 various trees, and especially from certain species of the poplar. 

 It is soft and red, will allow of being drawn out into a thread, is 

 aromatic, and imparts a gold-colour to white polished metals. It 

 is employed in the hive, as already stated, not only in finishing 

 the combs, but also in stopping up every chink and orifice by 

 which cold, wet, or any enemy could enter. They coat with it the 

 chief part of the inner surface of the hive, including that of the 

 sticks placed there for the support of the comb. It is carried by 

 the bees in the same manner as is the pollen on the hind legs. 



157. The radius around their habitation, within which the bee 

 industry is confined, is differently estimated, being according to 

 some a mile, and according to others extending to a mile and a 

 half. Various experiments prove that it is by their scent that 

 the bees are guided to the localities where their favourite flowers 

 abound. 



* Kirby, Int., ii. 151. 



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