70 HUMBLE CREATURES. 



company each new swarm, yet when winter ap- 

 proaches and there begins to be a fear of famine in 

 Bee-land, then the ruthless workers drive the lazy 

 drones out into the cold, and should they attempt to 

 return, they are mercilessly slaughtered. This is an 

 easy task, for the drones are not provided with stings, 

 as are the queen and workers ; and they consequently 

 fall an easy prey to their amazonian congeners. 



But now we come to the most active members of 

 the community, the workers, who construct the hive, 

 and perform all the labour necessary for its pre- 

 servation, and for the well-being of the inmates. 

 For this purpose they either collect or elaborate the 

 following substances, namely, wax, honey. Bee-bread, 

 and propolis ; and as three of these products are more 

 or less employed by man in art, science, or domestic 

 economy, it will be worth our while to devote a few 

 moments to their consideration. 



Wax, the material of which the hive-cells (usually 

 called the honeycomb) are constructed, is elaborated 

 from the honey in the body of the Bee, and secreted 

 in the wax-belts, situated between the rings of the 

 abdomen, ffom whence the Bee draws it forth with 

 the aid of its legs and jaws when required for the 

 formation of the cells. 



The appearance of common yellow Bee's-wax, in 

 its original state, is of course familiar to aU ; it has a 

 sweet, agreeable smell, beiag to some extent mixed 

 with honey, and is then soft and easily moulded by 

 pressure. It is converted into white or virgin wax 



