THE CONTENTS OF THE HIVE. 23 



workers, the grubs that are their special care, or the 

 queen. Pollen is also used in the formation of the 

 cappings to the cells containing the grubs, and plays 

 an important part in the making of wax. 



M. de Layens, a French bee-keeper and author of 

 note, was the first to notice that the colour of wax 

 varied with the source of the pollen ; and it is not 

 the light-coloured honey that is responsible for the 

 wax of a light shade. Very often the contrary is the 

 case, for, though heather honey is dark, the wax made 

 from it is light yellow. In 1886, Dr. A. Von Planta, 

 a famous Swiss chemist, proved the colour of the 

 wax to be due to the presence of various coloured 

 pollen grains. 



Propolis is also gathered by the bee, but at present 

 it has been put to no commercial use by the bee- 

 keeper. It is of a resinous nature, and exudes from 

 certain trees. The bees use it as a cement for filling 

 cracks and crevices, and for covering intruders, such 

 as the snail, that they are unable to remove. In 

 the building of the combs propolis is employed to 

 increase the tenacity of the wax, but it is used to the 

 greatest extent at the close of the honey-flow, in 

 daubing the sections and the crates, which, if left 

 on the hive too long, become firmly fixed, and difficult 

 to remove. 



The Bees. 



Every colony of bees in a normal condition will, 

 during the summer months, contain three kinds of 

 bees which are easily distinguished one from the 

 other. They are the Queen, Drones, and Workers 



