THE BEE. 513 



as foon as they have fucceeded, they lick, it up, alloiving 

 the former proprietor to walk away. 



Battles far more fatal and general are occafloned whea 

 a neighbouring fvvarm, from poverty, or a principle of 

 injuftice, invade a hive already occupied. Scarce!y have 

 they entered the Walls of the city, when a bloody en- 

 gagement enfues : Thofe who have the right of poffedioa 

 oppofe their invaders with all their forces, and with un- 

 daunted courage ; not a minute paffes that you do not 

 obferve a viftorious bee drajraiing to the door of the hive 

 a dead adverfary, or one who is yet flruggllng in all the 

 agonies of death. Thefe engagements do not clofe but 

 with the day ; and before viflory declares for either party, 

 they often coft thoufands their lives ; for very often the 

 one who has flung its opponent leaves its weapon in the 

 wound, an accident which proves fatal to itfelf. 



Infeifts of their own fpecies are far from being the only 

 enemies which the bees have to fear ; worms, wafps, hor- 

 nets, and infects of different kinds, never fail to make 

 their way into the hive, wherever any rent or crevice is 

 left open. When attacked by thefe robbers, they perifh 

 in the unequal combat ; and when dead, their bodies are 

 ripped up, in order to extrad from them the honey they 

 contain. Apprifedof the fatal confequences of admitting 

 them into the hive, the bees carefully till up every chink 

 and crevice, not with wax, but with the glutinous matter 

 that exfudes from certain trees, a fubftance ftill more te- 

 naceous. When a bc-e enters the hive loaded with a 

 quantity of this ftufF, it is met by others, who take fmall 

 particles of it, and apply it to the fides of the part to be 

 Hopped up, till they are entirely clofed, 



A fwarm of bees, however numerous, as we have al- 

 ready feen, all owe their birth to a 5ngle female. This 



Yql. Ill, 3 T c[ueenj 



