852 INSECTA—BEE. 
tive of preference in bees ; for the nearer they are to the time of laying their 
eggs, the bigger, redder and more shining are their bodies. 
The balls which we see attached to the legs of bees returning to the 
hives, are not wax, but a powder collected from the stamina of flowers, not 
yet brought to the state of wax. The substance of these balls, heated in 
any vessel, does not melt as wax would do, but becomes dry, and hardens ; 
it may even be reduced to a coal. If thrown into water it will sink, whereas 
wax swims. To reduce this crude substance into wax, it must first be di- 
gested in the body of the bee. Every bee, when it leaves the hive to collect 
this precious store, enters into the cup of the flower, particularly such as 
seem charged with the greatest quantity cf this yellow farina. As the ani- 
mal’s body is covered over with hair, it rolls itself within the flower, and quick- 
ly becomes quite covered with the dust, which it soon after brushes off with 
its two hind legs, and kneads it into two little balls. In the thighs of the 
hinder legs there are two cavities edged with hair; and into these, as into a 
basket, the animal sticks its pellets. Thus employed, the bee flits from 
flower to flower, increasing its store, and adding to its stock of wax, until 
the ball on each thigh becomes as big asa grain of pepper; by this time 
having got a sufficient load, it returns, making the best of its way to the 
hive. After the bees have brought home this crude substance, they eat it by 
degrees ; or, at other times, three or four bees come and ease the loaded bee, 
by eating each of them a share, the loaded bee giving them a hint so to do, 
Hunger is not the motive of their thus eating the balls of waxy matter, es- 
pecially when a swarm is first hived; but it is their desire to provide a 
speedy supply of real wax for making the combs. At other times, when 
there is.no immediate want of wax, the bees lay this matter up in reposito- 
ries to keep it in store. When this waxy matter is swallowed, it is by the 
digestive powers of the bee converted into real wax, which the bees again 
disgorge as they work it up into combs; for it is only while thus soft and 
phant from the stomach, that they can fabricate it properly. That the wax 
thus employed is taken from their stomach, appears from their making a 
considerable quantity of comb soon after they are hived, and even on any 
tree or shrub where they have rested but a short while before their being 
hived; though no balls were visible on their legs, excepting those of a 
few which may be just returned from the field. This is farther confirmed 
by what happened in aswarm newly hived; for two days together, from the 
time of their quitting their former home, it rained constantly, insomuch that 
not one bee was able to stir out during that time; yet, at the end of two 
days, they had made a comb fifteen or sixteen inches long, and thick in pro- 
portion. The crude wax, when brought home to the bees, is often of as 
different colors as are the flowers from which it is collected; but the new 
combs are always of a white color, which is afterwards changed only by 
the impurities arising from the steam, &c., of the bees. Bees collect crude 
wax, also, for food; for, if this was not the case, there would be no want of 
