i62 Bee-Bread and Propolis. 



have the same color of pollen throughout, are never filled 

 quite to the top, and not 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 vi'ill be wholly translucent; 

 otherwise there will be opaque patches. A little 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 other- 

 wise 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 pure nectar or honey — nitrogenous material. 

 The function of bee-bread is to furnish albuminous food 

 to all the bees, adults no less than larvse. As already stated, 

 brood-rearing is impossible without it. And though it is 

 certainly not essential to the nourishment of the adult 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 almost always found in the 

 intestines of bees. We may say it feeds the tissues of the 

 imago bees, and is necessary that the workers may form 

 the food for the queen, drones and larvae. Schonf eld thinks 

 the bees must have it in winter, and in case no bee-bread 

 is in the combs, he thinks the bees scrape it from the cells 

 and old combs. 



PROPOLIS. 



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 



