FuncHon of Propolis. 109 



infrequently the same cell may contain both pollen and honey. 

 Such a condition is easily ascertained by holding the comb 

 between the eye and the sun. If there is no pollen it will be 

 wholly translucent ; otherwise there will be opaque patches. 

 A litfle experience will make this determination easy, even if 

 the comb is old. It is often stated that queenless colonies 

 gather no pollen, but this is not true, though they gather less 

 than they otherwise would. It is probable that pollen, at 

 least when honey is added, contains all the essential elements 

 of animal food. It certainly contains the very important 

 principle which is not found in honey — nitrogenous material. 



The function of bee-bread is to help furnish the brood with 

 proper food. In fact, brood-rearing would be impossible 

 without it. And though it is certainly not essential to the 

 nourishment of the bees when in repose, it still may be so, 

 and unquestionably is, in time of active labor. This point is 

 clearly proved from the fact that pollen husks are always 

 found in the intestines of bees. 



PEOPOLIS. 



This substance, also called bee-glue, is collected as the bees 

 collect pollen, and not made nor secreted. It is the product 

 of various resinous buds, and may be seen to glisten on the 

 opening buds of the hickory and horse-chestnut, where it 

 frequently serves the entomologist by capturing small insects. 

 From such sources, from the oozing gum of various trees, 

 from varnished furniture, and from old propolis about unused 

 hives that have previously seen, service, do the bees secure 

 their glue. Probably the gathering of bees about coffins to 

 collect their glue from the varnish, led to the custom of rapping 

 on the hives . to inform the bees, in case of a death in the 

 family, that they might join as mourners. This custom still 

 prevails, as I understand, in some parts of the South. Pro- 

 polis has great adhesive force, and though soft and pliable 

 when warm becomes very hard and unyielding when cold. 



The use of bee glue is to cement the combs to their sup- 

 ports, to fill up all rough places inside the hive, to seal up 

 all crevices except the place of exit, which they often con- 

 tract, and even to cover any foreign substance that cannot 

 be removed. Intruding snails have thjis been imprisoned in- 

 side the hive. Reaumur found a snail thus encased ; Maraldi, 



