398 EXPERIMENTS OF REAUMUR. 



" Supposing the bees to form the wax from the pollen, it is 

 necessary that it should be digested in the stomach of the 

 bee," but this he positively denies to be the case; and he 

 founds his opinion on the result of the experiments of Mr. 

 Geer, who, in his Memoir on Insects, says, " According to 

 the opinion of all chemists, it is impossible to effect the 

 decomposition of wax in any manner whatsoever, even if 

 the same means be employed as in the decomposition 

 of stones or metals ; from which it is apparent that the 

 strongest stomach cannot digest it, excepting that of the wax- 

 moth. But if the stomach of the bee possesses the strength 

 to transform the pollen into wax, I do not see why another 

 stomach, equally hot, or some particular chemical process, 

 could not produce the same result." 



There is something very confused in the above passage, 

 for it ought not to be alleged as a proof that the stomach of 

 the bee is not strong enough to elaborate the pollen, because 

 the result of that elaboration is an indigestible substance. 

 Experience has determined, and the circumstance may be 

 verified at pleasure, that pollen is digested in the stomach 

 of the bee ; and as there is not any duct by which it can be 

 voided as an excremental matter, it becomes a natural de- 

 duction, that on the elaboration having attained a certain 

 degree of perfection, it is emitted in that white ropy matter 

 which constitutes the wax of the combs. 



Reaumur instituted several experiments with the view of 

 ascertaining, if it were not possible by art to extract real 

 wax from the pollen of plants, but all his experiments tended 

 only to convince him of the impossibility of the case, and 

 that he might as well attempt to make chyle from the sub- 

 stances which serve us for food, or to make silk by distilling 

 the leaves of the mulberry tree. 



Considering that the majority of the French naturalists 

 acknowledge the farina or pollen of plants to be the element 

 of wax, our surprise was boundless to find the following 



