irS£S OF HONEY AND WAX. 173 



And here, while dwelling on the uses of bees and 

 their products, I may tell an amusing story of a very 

 unusual, but ingenious, use to which some bees were 

 put on one occasion many years ago in Austria. 



For some reason there was a great uproar in a 

 certain town, and a very angry mob collected, sur- 

 rounding the house of the chief inhabitant. They 

 threatened violence. They would not listen to reason. 

 They were about to attack the house. No time was 

 to be lost, but no help was at hand. What could be 

 done ? Both house and pwner were in danger. But 

 a happy thought, and just in time, occurred to the 

 latter. He called his servants, and told them to run 

 and bring him his hives of bees as quick as possible. 

 And these at once, with all his force, he threw amongst 

 the crowd. You may imagine how the bees rushed 

 out, and began to attack everyone near. At all 

 events, it fully answered the purpose, and far better, 

 and quicker, than any good advice. It was more than 

 the crowd could stand, and in a few minutes they fled, 

 scattering here and there, to escape, if possible, the 

 stings of the countless and enraged insects. 



But leaving all such uses of bees, we must pass 

 now to the consideration of that part of the subject of 

 which I wish to speak more particularly, and which, 

 when understood, shows that the bees are not only 

 the most wonderful, but the most useful, of insects. 



