30 



THE BEE AS AN INSECT. [CH. I. 



the hive in a state of cleanliness— and these duties they 

 retain until themselves sufficiently vigorous to range the 

 fields in quest of supplies. After this term of appren- 

 ticeship they enter upon the labours of adult bees, and 

 collect honey, pollen, and propolis— particulars as to 

 which functions, and that of wax secretion, will be found 

 in the third and fourth sections of our next chapter, and 

 in the sections devoted to these four items in Chapter VI. 

 Water and salt are also brought in to aid in the suste- 

 nance of the young brood. The older bees perform the 

 duties of the younger when there are none or insufficient 

 of the latter in the hive ; but they will hang about per- 

 fectly idle if kept at home by weather when there is a 

 full staff of their younger sisters. These last, on the 

 contrary, cannot possibly supply the places of the older 

 until at the very least they have attained their eleventh 

 or twelfth day. 



Another of the varied duties performed by the younger 

 worker bees is that of ventilating the hive by fanning 

 with their wings. On a warm day a number of them 

 may be seen located outside on the alighting-board work- 

 ing these appendages at the utmost velocity so as to 

 drive a current of pure air within ; while inside, but not 

 exactly opposite to their comrades, are another troop, 

 who by the same process are engaged in driving the 

 foul air out. Other detachments are in the hottest 

 weather posted in different parts of the interior, and 

 the whole relieve each other in pickets. Huber ascer- 



