OF NATURAL HISTORY. 341 



hive. It is then in perpetual motion, and iis motions are extremely 

 rapid. Its figure continually varies. Sometimes it is more fliarp, 

 at others it is flatter, and fometimes it is more or lefs concave, and 

 partly covered with a moift pafte or wax. By the different move- 

 ments of its tongue the bee continues to fupply frefh wax to the 

 two teeth, which are employed in raifing and fafhioning the walls 

 of its cell, till they have acquired a fufficient height. As foon as the 

 moift pafte or wax dries, vsrhich it does almoft inftantaneoufly, it 

 then alTumes all the appearances and qualities of common wax. 

 There is a ftill ftronger proof that wax is the refult of an animal 

 procefs. When bees are removed into a new hive, and clofely con- 

 fined from the morning to the evening, if the hive chances to pleafe 

 them, in the courfe of this day feveral waxen cells will be formed, 

 without the poflTibiUty of a fingle bee's having had accefs to the 

 fields. Befides, the rude materials, or the farina of plants, carried 

 into the hive, are of various colours. The farina of fome plants em- 

 ployed by the bees is whitifh; in others It is of a fine yellow colour 5^ 

 in others it is almoft entirely red ; and in others It is green. The 

 combs conftruded with thefe differently coloured materials are, how- 

 ever, uniformly of the fame colour. Every comb, efpecially when 

 it b newly made, is of a pure white colour, which is more or lefa 

 tarniftied by age, the operation of the air, or by other accidental cir- 

 cumftances. To bleach wax, therefore, requires only the art of ex- 

 trading fuch foreign bodies as may have infinuated themfelves into 

 its fubftance and changed its original colour. 



Bees, from the nature of their conftltutlon, require a warm habi- 

 tation. They are like wife extremely folicitous to prevent infeds of 

 any kind from getting admittance into their hives. To accomplifin 

 both thefe purpofes, when they take pofleftion of a new hive, they 

 carefully examine every part of it, and, if they difcover any fmall 

 holes or chinks, they immediately pafte them firmly up with a refi- 

 I, ■ nous 



