THE BEE. 75 



lecheguana. Both he and his guide were nearly- 

 poisoned, and suffered a kind of phrenzy, the effects 

 of which did not wear off for a considerahle time. 

 These accidents are, however, very rare, and need 

 not alarm our readers, for European honey is a very 

 useful and wholesome substance. 



The Bees employ it in the form of what is called 

 " royal paste," for the nourishment of the larvse of 

 the Queen Bee, whose treatment in this and other 

 respects will presently he noticed. 



Bee-bread is composed of the pollen of flowers 

 moistened Tyith honey. It is collected by the workers 

 on their excursions, attached to the hind leg in the 

 form of a little pellet, with the aid of the remarkable 

 apparatus already described, and conveyed home to 

 serve as food for larvae as well as mature Bees. 

 If you watch the Bees on their return to the hive, 

 you will perceive that the little masses of Bee-bread 

 attached to their hind legs vary in colour upon the 

 different Bees, but not on the same insect. This 

 arises in consequence of the several Bees collecting 

 pollen from flowers of different colours ; but we are 

 told that in no case does the same Bee visit more 

 than one flower at a time*. 



The constitution of the Bee-bread is easily detected 

 by mixing a little of it with water, when it will be 

 found, under the microscope, to consist of poUen- 



* The Bee certainly vmts various species of flowers on the 

 same journey, though it may be possible that she does not take 

 pollen from more than one kind. 



E 2 



