The Life of the Bee 
[ ror ] 
This great progress, not the less actual 
for being hereditary and ancient, was fol- 
lowed by an infinite variety of details 
which prove that the industry, and even 
the policy, of the hive have not crystal- 
lised into infrangible formule. We have 
already mentioned the intelligent substi- 
tution of flour for pollen, and of an arti- 
ficial cement for propolis. We have seen 
with what skill the bees are able to adapt 
to their needs the occasionally discon- 
certing dwellings into which they are in- 
troduced, and the surprising adroitness 
wherewith they turn combs of foundation- 
wax to good account. They display ex- 
traordinary ingenuity in their manner of 
handling these marvellous combs, which 
-are so strangely useful, and yet incomplete. 
In point of fact, they meet man half-way. 
Let us imagine that we had for centuries 
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