[ i°7  ] 
VII.  A Letter  from  Nathaniel  Polhill,  Efq.  Member  of 
Parliament  for  the  Borough  of  Southwark,  to  Mr.  John 
Belchier,  F.  R.  S.  on  Mr.  deb  raw’s  Improvements  in 
the  Culture  of  Bees  (a\ 
DEAR  SIR, 
Southwark, 
O&ober  ti,  1777* 
Read  Jan.  22,  T\  /F  R.  debraw’s  paper  on  bees,  which  you 
A was  fo  obliging  as  to  procure  me,  has 
afforded  me  much  pleafure.  As  a farther  difcovery  of 
the  nature  and  operations  of  thefe  wonderful  infedts,  it  is 
a matter  of  great  curiofity,  and  nauft  have  been  ah  high 
entertainment  to  the  naturalift  who  has  made  them  the 
objedt  of  his  attention;  but  with  me,  the  merit  of  his 
publication  does  not  end  here:  his  difcoveries,  if  pro*- 
perly  purfued,  may  be  of  cOnfiderable  public  utility; 
thofe  who  cultivate  bees  for  profit  will  now  be  able  to 
increafe  the  number  of  their  flocks  at  pleafure,  by  adopt- 
ing his  method  of  compelling  the  commons  to  produce 
a queen.  That  the  Working  bees  fhould  be  capable  of 
forming  a queen  in  the  manner  he  defcribes,  I own  at 
firft  flaggered  my  belief ; and  although  the  experiments 
(a)  See  Philofophical  Tranfaftions,  vol.  LXVII.  p.  15. 
P a appeared 
