bee-keeper's manual. 113 



The combs were removed five times successively, but 

 always under the precaution of the escape of the bees 

 from the apartment being prevented ; and during this 

 long interval, the same insects were preserved and fed 

 with honey exclusively. Undoubtedly, the experiment, 

 had we deemed it necessary, might have been prolonged 

 with equal success. On each occasion that we supplied 

 them with honey, they produced new combs, which puts 

 it beyond doubt that this substance effected the secre- 

 tion of wax in their bodies, without the aid of pollen. 

 As the reverse of the preceding experiment would prove 

 whether the pollen itself had the same property, instead 

 of supplying our bees with honey, we fed them on no- 

 thing except fruit and farina. They were kept eight 

 days in captivity, under a glass bell with a comb, having 

 only farina in the cells ; yet they neither made wax, nor 

 were scales seen under the rings. Could any doubt 

 exist as to the real origin of wax ? We entertained 

 none." 



Huber also tried the result of feeding on sugar, in- 

 stead of honey, while the bees were confined. The 

 bees produced wax sooner, and in greater abundance, 

 than when fed on honey. 



A. pound of refined sugar, reduced to a syrup, and 

 clarified with eggs, produced 10 drams, 52 grains of 

 wax, darker than that extracted by the bees from honey. 

 An equal weight of dark brown sugar produced 22 

 drams of very white wax — the like came from maple 

 sugar ; that is, two ounces and three-quarters was the 



