sjGJcirr OF BEES. m 



thoroughfare ; the detached comb at its upper part had 

 been secured by a strong barrier and fastened to the 

 window with the spare wax. This being accomplished, 

 the bees removed the horizontal pillars first constructed 

 as being of no further use. During this laborious process, 

 (says Mr. W.) the glass window in the box was quite as 

 warm as I had felt it during any part of the summer, 

 and the bees were as active within the box." 



We have ourselves witnessed a similar proceeding. 



Huber has written a long chapter about his bees 

 erecting barricades before the entrance of the hives, to 

 defend the colony from the ravages of the sphinx-moth : 

 this is certainly very interesting, and well worthy of much 

 closer study. We do not, however, attribute reason to 

 bees as several writers do. 



Darwin's bold view will be remembered by many. 

 " If we were better acquainted with those insects that are 

 formed into societies — as the bees, wasps, and ants — we 

 should find that their arts and improvements are not so 

 similar and uniform as they now appear to us, but that 

 they arose in the same manner (from experience and 

 tradition) as the arts of our own species, though their 

 reasoning is from few ideas, is busied about fewer objects, 

 and is exerted with less energy." 



SENSES OF BEES. 



Bees have the sense of smell acutely developed ; they 

 can at once detect anyone covered with perspiration, and 

 soon become angry if annoyed with ofi^ensive odours. An 

 experiment made by Huber demonstrates their faculty of 

 smell; he placed vessels of honey in boxes perforated with 

 very small holes to allow the odour to escape, but not of 

 sutfacient size to permit a sight of the honey ; the bees 



