IC2 Secretion of Wax. 



that the bees, even the most aged, while gathering in the 

 honey season, yield up the wax-scales the same as those 

 within the hive. During the active storing of the past 

 season, especially when comb-building was in rapid pro- 

 gress, I found that nearly every bee taken from the 

 flowers contained the wax-scales of varying sizes in the 

 wax-pockets. By the activity of the bees, these are not 

 infrequently loosened from their position and fall to the 

 bottom of the hive. This explains why wax is often men- 

 tioned as an element of honey. Its presence, however, in 

 honey is wholly accidental. It is probable that wax secre- 

 tion is not forced upon the bees, but only takes place as 

 required. So the bees, unless wax is demanded, may per- 

 form other duties. When we fill the sections and brood- 

 chamber wholly with foundation, it is often difficult to find 

 any bees bearing wax-scales. In such cases I have often 

 looked long, but in vain, to find such scales in situ to 

 show to my students. Whether this secretion is a matter 

 of the bee's will, or whether it is excited by the surround- 

 ing conditions without any thought, are questions yet to be 

 settled. 



These wax-scales are loosened by the wax-jaws of the 

 -posterior legs, as stated by Girard, carried to their anterior 

 claws which in turn bear them to the mouth, where they 

 are mixed with saliva probably from Wolff's ^'lands (Fig. 



'39)- 



After the proper kneading by the jaws, these wax-scales 



are fashioned into that wonderful and exquisite structure, 



the comb. In this transformation to comb, the wax may 



become colored. Dr. Planta has f^hown that this is due to 



a slight admixture of pollen. It is almost sure to do this 



if the new comb is formed adjacent to old, dark colored 



comb. In such cases chippings from the old soiled comb 



are used. 



Honey-comb is wonderfully delicate, the base of a new 



cell being only about i-8oth of an inch in thickness. The 



wall is even much thinner, sometimes hardly more than 



one-half as thick. The cells are so formed as to combine 



the greatest strength and maximum capacity with the 



least expense of material. It need hardly be said that 



