[ 53 ^ ] 
IV. A Letter from Arthur Dobbs Efq\ to 
Charles Stanhope Efq\ F. R S. concerning 
Bees, and their Method of gathering Wax 
and Honey. 
... • •• • . 
S I R, . CaJUe-Dobbs., 03. Z 2 ,ij^o. 
Read Nov. 8./^tiNCE my View of doing Good, by 
17SO ' making Difcoveries of the Great W orld 
has been dilappointed, upon my Retirement into this 
little Corner of it, [Ireland] amongft other rural 
Amufements I have been contemplating the Inha- 
bitants of- the Little World ; particularly that meft 
ufcful and induftrious Society of Bees; and have had 
Time to revife the curious, ingenious, and enter- 
taining Account given by M. Reaumur , of that in- 
imitable Infed, with his curious Remarks and Rea- 
soning about them ; fince he has been indefatigable 
in his Experiments and Obfervations about them, as 
well as of moft other Infeds, I think it the Duty of 
every Petfon, who has had Time to make any Ob- 
fervations, which may contribute to come at the 
Truth, and complete his Natural Hiftory of Infcds, 
to throw in his Mite towards it. 
I had Leifure and Opportunities many Years ago, 
to make fome Obfervations about Bees; and all that 
I made- copfirm his general Theory, as well from 
his microfcopical Obfervations, as thole made by 
means of glals Hives ; in which he had much 'greater 
and better Opportunities to make Obfervations than 
I have had : However, as there are two Things, in 
which my Obfervations are different from his, I 
think 
I 
