88 miner's AMERICAN 



found in the same cell ! How the bees are enabled to 

 keep each color separate arid distinct, is beyond our pale 

 of knowledge ; yet it is but in keeping with their gene- 

 ral habits, and regulations in labor. 



HOW FED TO LAEV^. 



How this farina or bee-bread is fed to the larvae is 

 another mystery — that is, whether it be given dry, and 

 in its original state, or whether it be compounded with 

 other substances ? No man can ever say of his own 

 knowledge, from ocular demonstration, that a combina- 

 tion of different substances does actually take place; 

 yet collateral evidence does exist, showing plainly that 

 water is used in preparing it for use, if nothing more. 

 Water and honey are the only things that apiarians have 

 imagined were compounded with it. 



CELLS ONLY PARTLY FILLED WITH POLLEN. 



Another singular circumstance attends the packing 

 of bee-bread ; it is this : — The cells are never filled be- 

 yond about two-thirds of their depth ! The remaining 

 space is either left unoccupied, or it is filled with honey. 

 When there is a lack of room to store honey, these bee- 

 bread cells are filled with that substance. Some apia- 

 rians have supposed, that the cells are but partially filled 

 with farina, because a covering of honey is necessary to 

 protect it and keep it in good condition. This does not 

 appear to be the case, since a great proportion of the 

 combs containing farina, are generally found to have no 

 such covering of honey. 



