368 [Assembly 



enter the hive, some with yellow pellets, others with orange, 

 pink, white, or even green colored ones ; but they are never ob- 

 served to be parti-colored. 



• 



Through this instinct another important end is gained, in rela- 

 tion to the impregnation of flowers ; the production of hybrid 

 plants by the application of the pollen of one species to the stigma 

 of another is avoided, while those flowers are more effectually 

 fertilized, which require the aid of insects for that purpose. 



When a pollen laden bee arrives at the hive, she generally 

 walk or stands upon the comb, beating her wings, and three or 

 four of her fellow citizens assist in lightening her of her load; or 

 the laden bee puts her two hiud legs into a cell, and with the 

 intermediate pair, or the extremity of the abdomen, brushes off 

 the pellets. These are then kneaded into a paste, at the bottom of 

 the cell, and several cells are thus filled with tlie packed and 

 softened pollen, which is called bee bread. 



Besides the honey and farina, bees also collect a peculiar sub- 

 stance like gum-resin, which was called "propolis" by Pliny j 

 and this they obtain principally from the balsamic buds of the 

 horse-chesnut, birch and poplar, especially the Populus halsam- 

 ifera. The propolis is soft, red, and will pull out in a thread, 

 and is aromatic. It is employed in the hive, not only in finish- 

 ing the comb, but also in stopping up every chink or orifice by 

 which cold, wet, or any enemy can enter. Like the pellets of 

 pollen, it is carried on the posterior tibiae, but the masses are 

 lenticular. 



The bees may be readily detected feeding the young maggot, 

 which opens its lateral jaws to receive tlie bee-bread, and swal- 

 lows it. 



The queen lays six thousand eggs a month, according to 

 Huber. 



The formation of the wax is a very singular and complex 

 operation. Huber says : " The wax-makers, having taken a due 

 portion of honey or sugar, from either of which wax can be ela- 

 borated, suspend themselves to each other, the claws of the fore 

 legs of the lowermost being attached to those of the hind pair of 



