BEARS ^BISE-LICB. 475 



resent an injury. As they are usually swallowed without 

 being crushed, they do not instinctively thrust out their 

 stings, and before they can recover from their surprise, 

 they are safely entombed. 



822. Bears are exceedingly fond of honey ; and in coun- 

 tries where they abound, great precautions are needed to 

 prevent them from destroying the hives. 



In that quaint but admirably common-sense work, entitled, 

 " r/te Feminine Monarchie, written out of Experience, by 

 Charles Butler; printed in the year 1609," we have an 

 amusing adventure, related by a Muscovite ambassador to 

 Rome: 



" A neighbor of mine," salth he, " in searching in the woods 

 for honey, slipped down into a great hollow tree, and there sunk 

 into a lake of honey up to the breast ; where — when he had stuck 

 fast two days calling and crying out in vain for help, because 

 nobody in the meanwhile came nigh that solitary place — at 

 length, when he was out of all hope of life, he was strangely 

 delivered by the means of a great bear, which, coming hither 

 about the same business that he did, and smelling the honey, 

 stirred with his striving, clambered up to the top of the tree, 

 and then began to lower himself down, backwards, into it. The 

 man bethinking himself, and knowing that the worst was but 

 death, which in that place he was sure of, beclipt the bear fast 

 with both hands about the loins, and, withal, made an outcry as 

 loud as he could. The bear being thus suddenly aflfrighted, 

 what with the handling and what with the noise, made up again 

 with all speed possible. The man held, and the bear pulled, 

 until, with main force, he had drawn him out of the mire ; and 

 then, being let go. away he trots, more afeard than hurt, leaving 

 the smeared swain in a joyful fear." 



823. The braula coeca or bee-louse, exists in Italy and 

 other warm countries. Dr. Dubini has seen queens so com- 

 pletely covered with them, that only their legs could be seen. 

 These lice, whose second name, caeca, means blind, have 

 been often found by us on imported queens on their arrival. 

 They are so large that they can easily be taken off the 



