were his prey wherever he found them : he had 

 no apprehensions from their stings, but he would 



Catching bees. 



seize them nudis manibus, and at once disarm them 

 of their weapons, and suck their bodies for the sake 

 of their honey-bag's. Sometimes he would fill his 

 bosom between his shirt and his skin with a number of 

 these captives; and sometimes would confine them in 

 bottles. He was a very Merops apiaster, or bee-bird ; 

 and very injurious to men that kept bees : for he 

 would slide into their bee-gardens, and, sitting down 

 before the stools, would rap with his finger on the 

 hives, and so take the bees as they came out. He 



6i 



