COMB. 



77 



of five days, found several beautiful white combs in their 

 tenement: these were taken from them, and they were 

 again confined and supplied with honey and water, and a 

 second time new combs were constructed. Five times in 

 succession their combs were removed, and were in each 

 instance replaced, the bees being all the time prevented 

 from ranging the fields, to supply themselves with bee-bread. 

 By subsequent experiments he proved that sugar answered 

 the same end with honey. 



He then confined a swarm, giving them no honey, but an 

 abundance of fruit and pollen. They subsisted on the fruit, 

 but refused to touch the pollen ; and no combs were con- 

 structed, nor any wax scales formed in their pouches. 

 These experiments are conclusive ; and are interesting, not 

 merely as proving that wax is secreted from honey or sac- 

 charine substances, but because they show in what a thorough 

 manner the experiments of Huber were conducted. Con- 

 fident assertions are easily made, requiring only a little 

 breath, or a drop of ink ; and the men who deal most in 

 them, have often a profound contempt for observation and 

 experiment. To establish even a simple truth, on the solid 

 foundation of demonstrated facts, often requires the most 

 patient and protracted toil. 



A high temperature is necessary for comb-building, in 

 order that the wax may be soft enough to be moulded into 

 shape. The very process of its secretion helps to furnish the 

 amount of heat which is required to work it. This is a 

 very interesting fact which seems never before to have 

 been noticed. 



Honey or sugar is found to contain by weight, about eight 



pounds of oxygen to one of carbon and hydrogen. When 



changed into wax, the proportions are entirely reversed : 



the wax contains only one pound of oxygen to more than six- 



*5 



