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ARTICULATA. 



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BEES SECKlsTlNU WAX. 



arc still iiiuiiv utlifi- .strikiiiiT curiosities in tbcir history. One of the most wonderful is, that the 

 hoxauo!\al cells for the licnu y arc l>uilt upon precisely that matheraatical angle winch affords 

 the tjrcatc.st nnioiint of strenixth with the least waste of material. Mathematicians, after laborious 

 caloulutioiis, have verified this fact; ages ago, when the first bees built their cells, the Great 

 .Matlu-niatician instructeil them, and instinct, which is a perpetual memory, has preserved the 

 kiiowlcdixo thus coinnmnicated, amid the countless myriads of descendants in all countries and all 



climes. 



Another curious fact in respect to these insects is, that when a colony or swarm migrates 



from the original hive to a new situation, it is necessary first to 

 collect propolis with which every chink and cranny in the place 

 where they mean to build, may be carefully stopped up ; and 

 secondly, that a quantity of wax be secreted by the wax-workers 

 to form the requisite cells. The secretion of wax, it would 

 appear, goes on best when the bees are in a state of repose, and 

 the wax-workers accordingly suspend themselves in the interior 

 _. _ "^ 'i^ of the hive in an extended cluster like a curtain, which is composed 

 ' V^KVJiav ) of a series of intertwined festoons or garlands crossing each other 

 in all directions — the uppermost bee maintaining its position by 

 laying hold of the roof by its fore-legs, and the succeeding one 

 by laying hold of the hind-legs of the first, and so on. 



The stinof ofthe bee consists of an extensile sheath inclosinji two 

 needle-shaped darts of extreme acuteness; this apparatus is fur- 

 nished with barbs at the point, so that when it enters the skin, it 

 often remains, not only rendering the wound more painful, but being wrenched from the insect, 

 frequently causes its death. The sting is also provided with an active poison, which distils into 

 the wound and increases the pain. Sometimes the simultaneous attack of a large number of 

 bees upon a person, has proved fatal. The sting of the females is bent, that of the neuters is 

 straight ; the males have no sting. This curious means of attack and defense belonging to 

 the bees seems to be a provision of nature, bestowed upon them for the purpose of enabling them 

 to preserve their delicious stores of honey from the multitude of greedy creatures always ready to 

 devour it. A similar stinging apparatus belongs to the humble-bee, wasp, hornet, and many 

 other honey-making species. 



Most persons are only acquainted with bees in their domesticated state, but in different parts 

 of the world there are many wild bees, probably of different species, though closely resembling 

 the Apis mellijica, in appearance and habits. In our western country, there are many swarms of 

 wild bees, and the hunting of them is almost a profession. As the bee has the faculty of flying ? 

 straight to its hive, from which comes the familiar expression of a bee-line, the bee-hunters are 

 able to discover the place where the hive is situated by taking notice of the point to which 

 several bees direct th?ir fiight. In a former part of this work we have noticed the cuckoo of 

 Africa, said to guide the natives of the country to the treasures of honey which they have the 

 art of discovering in the forests ; but the practiced bee-hunter needs no such honey-guide. 



The Humblc-Bees, or as they are often called in this country, the Bumhle-Bees, are of many 

 species, but they all resemble the common honoy-bee in their habits. The Bomhus terrestris is 

 one of the largest and commonest of European species. They usually deposit their eggs in a 

 hole in the ground, which they excavate with their jaws, lining it wdth moss. When the nest is 

 tolerably well peopled, it presents a mass of oval cocoons spun by the larvji?, interspersed with . 

 which are numerous masses of an irregular but generally somewhat rounded form, and of a t 

 brown color ; some of the largest are about the size of a small walnut. Each of these masses 

 incloses citlicr eggs or larvaj, and is composed of pollen mixed with honey. To these must be 

 added the little honey-pots which are irregularly interspersed with the cocoons. The transform- 

 ations of these insects, and their various arts and general system of economy, are alike curious 

 and interesting. The American species resemble the preceding. 



These species which we have described are called Social Bees. Of the numerous other kinds 



