vgS THE APIARY. 



tain trees. The bark of the willow, the leaf-buds of the 

 poplar and alder, and the unopened blossoms of the 

 hollyhock are very usual sources of propolis. In the 

 case of a new swarm, as bees must have this glue before 

 they can begiii to build their combs, they will resort to 

 most unlikely places to obtain it. Sometimes they will 

 enter a paint shop and attack the varnish, and it is 

 said they have been seen to obtain propolis from the 

 pitch and rigging of a ship. These circumstances 

 afford intelligible hints to the apiarian, who, if his bees 

 have not easy access to firs, poplars, or willows, will 

 provide some glutinous or resinous matter which may 

 serve for a substitute. The extraction of propolis costs 

 the bees very considerable labour, which they should be 

 relieved of as much as possible, in order to facilitate 

 their great work of honey gathering. Bees choose the 

 warmer part of the day during which to gather pro- 

 polis, as then it does not so rapidly stiffen, frequently, 

 when they arrive at the hive, it has become so hard that 

 the. other bees are scarcely able to gnaw it from their 

 thighs. 



With propolis bees fasten down their hives, stop up^ 

 crevices to exclude moths and ants, and sometimes use 

 it to narrow the entrance of their hives against the inva- 

 sion of wasps. Extraordinasy anecdotes are told of the 

 prompt and ingenious use they make of this substance. 

 Reaumur relates, that a snail having been observed by 

 the bees oh the window of the hive, they prOcegded to. 



