COMB. 101 
222. Honey and sugar contain by weight about eight 
pounds of oxygen to one of carbon and hydrogen. When 
converted into wax, these proportions are remarkably 
changed, the wax containing only one pound of oxygen to 
more than sixteen of hydrogen and carbon. Now as oxy- 
gen is the grand supporter of animal heat, the large quan- 
tity consumed in secreting wax aids in generating that 
extraordinary heat which always accompanies comb-build- 
ing, and which enables the bees to mould the softened wax 
into such exquisitely delicate and beautiful forms. This 
interesting instance of adaptation, so clearly pointing to 
the Divine Wisdom, seems to have escaped the notice of 
previous writers. 
223. Careful experiments prove that from ten to sixteen 
pounds of honey are usually required to make a single 
pound of wax. As wax is an animal oil, secreted chiefly 
from honey, this fact will not appear incredible to those 
who are aware how many pounds of corn or hay must be fed 
to cattle to have them gain a single pound of fat. From 
experiments made by Mr. P. Viallon here, and by Mr. De 
Layens in France, it seems that in good circumstances 
bees use only about seven pounds of honey to produce a 
pound of wax. 
Many bee-keepers are unaware of the value of empty 
comb. Suppose honey to be worth only ten cents per pound, 
and comb, when rendered into wax, to be worth thirty 
cents, the Apiarist who melts a pound of comb loses largely 
by the operation, even without estimating the time his bees 
have consumed in building it. It is, therefore, considerea 
a first principle in bee-culture never to melt good worker- 
combs. A strong colony of bees, in the height of the honey- 
harvest, will fill them with very great rapidity. 
With the box hives (2765), but little use “an be made 
of empty comb, unless it is new and can be put into the 
surplus honey-boxes (728), but by the use of movable 
