THE BEE-MILK MYSTERY 203 
hive, and there is administered to it a glistening 
white substance closely resembling thick cream. 
Analysts tell us that this bee-milk, as it is called, 
is highly nitrogenous in character, and that it has 
a decidedly acid reaction. It is obviously produced 
from the mouths of the nurse-bees, and appears to 
be digested matter thrown up from some part of the 
bee’s internal system, and combined with the 
secretions from one or more of the four separate 
sets of glands which open into different parts of 
the worker-bee’s mouth. The power to secrete this 
bee-milk seems to be normally limited to those 
workers who are under fourteen or fifteen days old. 
After that time the bee runs dry, her nursing work 
is relinquished, and she goes out to forage 
for nectar and pollen, never, as far as is known, 
resuming the task of feeding the young grubs. But 
if the faculty is not exercised, it may be held in 
abeyance for months together. This takes place 
at the close of each year, when we know that the 
last bees born to the hive in autumn are those who 
supply the milk for the first batches of larve raised 
in the ensuing spring. 
It is difficult to keep out the wonder-weaving 
mood when writing of any phase of hive-life, and 
especially so when we have this bee-milk under 
consideration. For all recent studies of the matter 
tend to prove several facts about it not merely 
wonderful, but verging on the mysterious. 
In the first place, its composition seems to be 
variable at the will of the bees. The white liquid 
is supplied to the grubs of worker, queen, and drone, 
and not only is its nature different with each, but 
it is even possible that this may be farther modified 
