HONEY. 95 



deleterious effect when eaten, causing sickness; but 

 these kinds of flowers are very rare. 



PROPOLIS, OR BEE-GLUE, 



Besides the honey and pollen which are gathered 

 by bees, they also collect a resinous substance that is 

 very tenacious and semi-transparent, giving out a 

 balsamic odor, somewhat resembling that of storax. 

 It is of a reddish brown color, and when broken its 

 color resembles wax. Dissolved in spirits of wine or 

 oil of turpentine, it imparts as varnish a golden color 

 to silver, tin and other bright metals. Being sup- 

 posed to possess medicinal properties, it was formerly 

 kept in the shop of the apothecary. It consists of 

 one part of wax and four of pure resin. — (Bevan.) 



Propolis is used to stop crevices that may exist in 

 and about the hives, fasten them to the floors, to 

 make the honey boxes secure, and also to fasten the 

 frames ; it is sometimes used as side attachments to 

 strengthen the comb fastenings, to cover any uneven 

 or objectionable places in the hive, or hide any insect 

 that may chance to find a lodgment in the hive, 

 Avhich the bees are unable to remove. 



Propolis is gathered from resinous buds of trees and 

 shrubs, and from some species of weeds. I have seen 

 the bees working on the balm of Gilead trees. But 

 a few could be observed at one time, and the trees 

 were too high to see exactly what they were doing ; 

 but no doubt they were gathering propolis from the 

 buds, as they seemed to be the only points visited ; 

 nothing else existed on or about the trees at the time, 



