PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 387 
with it arrives at the hive, she sometimes stops at the entrance, and very 
leisurely detaches it by piecemeal, devours one or both the pellets on her 
legs, chewing them with her jaws, and passing them: then down the little 
orifice before noticed. Sometimes she enters the hive, and walks upon the 
combs ; and whether she walks or stands, still keeps beating her wings. 
By the noise thus produced, which seems a call to some of her fellow- 
citizens, three or four go to her, and placing themselves round her, begin 
to lighten her of her load, each taking and devouring a small portion of her 
ambrosia ; this they repeat if more do not arrive to assist them, three or 
four times, till the whole is disposed of.1 Wildman observed them on this 
occasion supporting themselves upon their two fore feet; and making several 
motions with their wings and body to the right and left, which produced 
the sound that summoned their assistants.? This bee-bread, as I said 
before, is generally found in the second stomach and intestines, but the 
honey never ; which induced Reaumur to think (but he was mistaken) 
that the bees elaborated wax from it: and he observes that the bees de- 
your this when they are busily engaged in constructing combs. *When 
more pollen is collected than the bees have immediate occasion for, they 
store it up in some of the empty cells. The laden bee puts her two hind 
legs into the cell, and with the intermediate pair pushes off the pellets, 
When this is done, she, or another bee if she is too much fatigued with her . 
day’s labours, enters the cell with her head first, and remains there some 
time: she is engaged in diluting the pellets, kneading them, and packing 
them close ; and so they proceed, till the cell is filled. A large portion of 
the cells of some combs are filled with this bread, which one while is found 
in insulated cells, at another in cells amongst those that are filled with 
honey or brood. Thus it is everywhere at hand for use.® 
You have seen how the bees collect and employ two of the materials 
that I mentioned ; I must now advert to the third — the Propolis. Huber 
was a long time uncertain from whence the bees procured this gummy 
resin; but it at Jast occurred to him to plant some cuttings of a species of 
poplar (before their leaves were developed, when their leaf-buds were 
swelling and besmeared and filled with a viscid juice) in some pots which 
, he placed in the way of the bees that went from his hives. Almost imme- 
diately a bee alighted upon a twig, and soon with its mandibles opened a 
bud, and drew from it a thread of the viscid matter which it contained ; 
with one of its second pair of legs it took it from the mouth, and placed 
it in the basket : thus it proceeded till it had given them both their load. 
Ihave myself seen bees very busy collecting it from the Tacamahaca 
(Populus balsamifera). But this is an old discovery, confirmed by recent 
observation; for Mouffet tells us, from Cordus, that it is collected from 
the gems of the trees, instancing the poplar and the birch.” Riem observes 
that it is also collected from the pine and fir.. The propolis is soft, red, will 
pull out in a thread, is aromatic, and imparts a gold colour to white polished 
metals, It is employed in the hive not only in finishing the combs, as I 
related in my letter on Habitations ; but also in stopping every chink or 
' Reaum. y. 418, 2 Ibid. v. p. 38. 5 Ubi supra, 419. 
“ Compare Reaum. 420., and Huber, ii. 24., with Wildman, 40. 
5 Por much valuable information on the economy of bees, the reader will do well 
to consult Dr, Bevan’s very interesting work on the Honey Bee, 
6 Huber, ii. 260, 
" Insect. Theatr, 86. Schirach, 241. 
oo 2 
