104 Of Bee-bread and Wax. 
pute. I myfelf have feen the fame phenomenon, 
once, or at moft twice, during an experience of 
thirty years. But it certainly would be abfurd 
to infer from thefe rare cafes, that all the wax, 
which the combs are made of, ,is carried into 
the hive in this manner. ‘The contrary infer- 
ence muift be drawn, were it from nothing elfe 
but the confideration, that thefe white fcales 
have been fo very feldom obferved. Itis alfo 
well known, that when a young fwarm is new- 
ly fet down, within a fhort time thereafter, 
{mall fcales of fine white wax will be feen on 
the {tool ; which is a certain proof that the bees 
are beginning to build combs: and perhaps a 
few of the bees may pick up fome of thefe {cales, 
to prevent them from being loft. But, if every 
bee, that 1s employed in carrying wax for build- 
ing the combs, either within or on the outfide 
of her body, could be obferved, we would fee 
thoufands thus loaded every day after a young 
fwarm is firft fet down, inftead of obferving 
only one or two folitary inftances in the courfe 
of twenty or thirty years. 
If a natural or artificial fwarm is confined 
24 hours in a hive, after it is newly put into 
it, the bees will be found bafily employed in 
making combs. From this it may be argued, 
that 
