162 THE LORE OF THE HONEY-BEE 
tain experiments which were undertaken to decide 
the amount of food assimilated during the produc- 
tion of a given weight of wax. When the bees 
had access only to honey, it was found that five or 
six pounds were needed during the time that one 
pound of wax was produced. But if the bees 
were fed on a plain syrup of cane-sugar, more wax 
was generated. The chemical composition of 
fresh nectar is almost identical with that of sugar 
from the sugar-cane, but mature honey contains 
practically no cane-sugar at all. It is very doubt- 
ful, therefore, if the economic bee would deplete 
her hard-won stores of honey for a purpose that 
could be better accomplished in another and 
cheaper way. And it should also be borne in mind 
that the natural time for comb-building coincides 
with the season when nectar is in greatest plenty. 
These sudden variations in temperature appear 
to be brought about by a wholesale increase in 
the rate of respiration among the bees; and there 
is nothing that excites the wonder of the student 
of hive-life more than the breathing-apparatus of 
the bee, as seen under the microscope. Practically 
her whole physical system is directly supplied 
with air, drawn in through her many spiracles. 
As far as scientists have been able to determine, 
there is not a fibre or nerve in her entire body that 
is not reached by the minute ramifications of the air- 
ducts, in direct communication with the great main 
breathing-vessels in the bee’s abdomen. Respira- 
