332 THE LORE OF THE HONEY-BEE 



Until within comparatively recent years it was 

 universally believed that honey was a pure, un- 

 touched secretion from the flowers; and that beyond 

 gathering and storing it the bee had no part in 

 its production. This idea, however, is a wholly 

 mistaken one. Honey is a manufactured article, 

 and differs in almost every way from the raw 

 juices obtained from the various flower-crops. 

 The nectar of flowers, before collection by the bee, 

 seems to have hardly any of the constituents of 

 ripe honey. Three-quarters of its bulk consists 

 of plain water, in which about 20 per cent, of 

 cane-sugar is dissolved, the rest being made up 

 of essential oils and gums, which give it its dis- 

 tinctive flavour. But mature honey contains very 

 little water, certainly never more than a sixth part 

 of its bulk. Its sugar is almost entirely grape- 

 sugar. It is decidedly acid, while the nectar is 

 always neutral. And the oils and aromatic prin- 

 ciples of the flower-jiiices are matured and deve- 

 loped into the well-known honey flavour, which is 

 like nothing else in the world. 



It is certain that the process of manufacture 

 begins directly the bee draws the nectar from the 

 flower-cup. As the liquid passes into the honey- 

 sac it is mingled with the acid secretion from the 

 gland at the base of the tongue. When the bee 

 reaches the hive she does not pour her burden 

 direct into the cells, but passes it on to one of the 

 house-bees, who conveys it to the honey-vats. It 

 is even probable that the nectar is transferred a 



