Of the Bees Works, &e. jolt 105 
convey it to the apartments, and unload it themfelves.* 
But that is a work of. fupererogation, And why not all 
of them ? all this is fo entirely fancy, and far from fact, 
as to need no further confutation. , 
- That 1 may more fully fatisfy my reader in this point, 
and at the fame time fhew how remote the faid authors 
were from truth, I fubjoin the following remarks. 
It is fo fully manifeft and obvious, that what is for feve- 
ral months together fo plentifully imported into the hives, 
qs not wax, nor hath the leaft affinity with wax, that it is 
not to be contradicted, tho’ feveral of our writers contend 
for it, and it is generally accounted fuch by the populace, 
Both Butler, Purchas and Rufden, have fully confuted 
this vulgar error in the particulars following. When. 
the hives have been for a year or more filled with coms 
down to the floor, andthere isnomore room to build, they 
yet carry of this faid matter in the greateft plenty; and 
even when no more wax is wanting, only to feal up the 
honey, and the breeding cells, for which a very {mall 
quantity is fufficient. 
Further: do but examine the faid matter with your 
fingers, and you will prefently perceive the particles to 
feparate from each other, and crumble to powder, where- 
as wax, on the contrary, will adhere and cleave toge- 
ther : or if you carry it to the fire you fhall fee it turn to 
afhes and duft, when the other fhall melt and diffolve, 
A plain evidence it is not wax ! 
The diverfity again of it’s colours is an additional 
tl of what Lam difputing for. Senfe itfelf is an e« 
~ yidence, 
T Nat, Delin. p, 106, 
