Of the Bees Works, &e. ¥03 
The combs are alfo (generally) placed at equal dif 
tances, there being only room for two Bees to pafs a- 
ee without any needlefs empty fpace. Wax is one 
of their chiefeft manufactures, and abfolutely neceflary 
to treafure up their honey, and for brood. But here I 
find feveral of our modern writers far from truth in their 
reports. 
Mr. Bradley tells us, that from the flowers they ga- 
ther the wax with the hairs, which cover their Bodies ; 
and when they return from the fields, you may fee their 
hairs full of {mall particles of wax like duft, When 
. they are got into the hive, and give notice to their com- 
panions, three or four of them come and take each a 
{mall quantity of the wax, with their j jaws, till no more 
remains, when they return into the fields for a new har- 
: velt. Or elfe the laden Bee finds out a cell, where 
there i is neither honey, nor worm, and there aa thofe 
bodies of wax, 
He likewite adds, as one Bee goes, another comes, 
to temper the wax till the hive is almoft full of this fort, 
placed fometimes i in lays of divers colours, as white, yel- 
low, red and brown, according to the flowers or leaves 
from which they gather it. And j in feveral parts of the 
hive, a great number of cell s are found full of this wax, 
which are as magazines, to which they have recourfe 
upon occafion. F inally, the wax in the cells, which at 
firk i is of different colours, is always white immediately 
after the honey- combs are built.* How has this author 
int this account betrayed his great ig enorance, and abufed 
pisreader? G 4 That 
royty 
© # Bradley ps 239, 2430 
