The Life of the Bee 
[15 ] 
But the hive that we have selected is 
disturbed in its history by no interference 
of man; and as the beautiful day advances 
with radiant and tranquil steps beneath 
the trees, its ardour, still bathed in dew, 
makes the appointed hour seem laggard. 
Over the whole surface of the golden cor- 
ridors that divide the parallel walls the 
workers are busily making preparation 
for the journey. And each one will first 
of all burden herself with provision of 
honey sufficient for five or six days. From 
this honey that they bear within them they 
will distil, by a chemical process still unex- 
plained, the wax required for the immediate 
construction of buildings. They will pro- 
vide themselves also with a certain amount 
of propolis, a kind of resin with which they 
will seal all the crevices in the new dwell- 
ing, strengthen weak places, varnish the 
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