STINGS. 101 



CHAPTER XX. 



STINGS. 



Ip tees had not been furnished with weapons of defence, 

 the prohahility is great that they wouJd have heen de- 

 stroyed centuries ago. The treasures of a bee-hive are so 

 tempting to men and brutes, birds, and creeping things, 

 that it has been necessary to provide bees with a means 

 of defence ; and this is done by giving them stings and 

 bags of jjoison, which they can use at will. When they 

 receive or anticipate molestation they are not slow to 

 make use of their "poisoned arrows;" and every arrow 

 is barbed, so that, if inserted, it sticks fast — so fast that 

 it drags or tears the venom-bag attached to it from the 

 body of the bee. And after separation from the bee, the 

 sting is moved by a self-acting machinery, intended, no 

 doubt, to empty the entire contents of the venom-bag into 

 the part stung ; hence the wisdom of withdrawing a 

 sting as soon as it is inflicted. The pain and probable 

 inflammation will be greater and longer continued if the 

 sting be not extracted at once. 



Some people are much disfigured by being stung on the 

 face ; and the question has been asked. If these people 

 were frequently stung, would the stings continue to have 

 as great influence'? We cannot answer this question with 

 certainty, though we have known men who suffered great 

 inconvenience from stings in early life, disregard them 



