112 MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 



possible that the material is more easily collected and com- 

 pacted when homogeneous. 



The pollen is usually deposited in the small or worker cells, 

 and is unloaded by a scraping motion of the posterior legs, 

 the pollen baskets being first lowered into the cells. The bee 

 thus freed, leaves the wheat-like masses thus deposited to be 

 packed by other bees. The cells, which may or may not 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 will be wholly translucent ; otherwise there will 

 be opaque patches. A little experience will make this deter- 

 mination easy, even if the comb is old. It is often stated 

 that queenless colonies gather no pollen, but this is not true, 

 though very likely they gather less than they otherwise would. 

 It is probable that pollen, at least when honey is added, con- 

 tains all the essential elements of animal food. It certainly 

 contains the very important principle, which is not found in 

 honey — nitrogenous material. 



The function of bee-bread is to help furnish the brood with 

 proper food. In fact, brood-rearing would be impossible 

 without it. And though it is certainly not essential to the 

 nourishment of the bees when in repose, it still may be so, 

 and unquestionably is, in time of active labor. 



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 rap- 

 ping on the hives to inform the bees, in case of a death in 

 the family, that they might join as mourners. This custom 

 still prevails, as I understand, in some parts of the South. 



