156 Mr. Hunter's Observations on Bees. 
of the maggot. It is the food of the maggot of the humble bee* 
who feeds upon honey, and even lays up a store of honey for 
a wet day, yet does not feed the young with it. It is the food 
of the maggot of a black bee, and also of several others of the 
solitary kind, who also feed upon honey ; and wasps, &c. who 
do not bring in such materials, do not feed themselves upon 
honey. We cannot suppose, that the bee-bread is for the food 
of the old bees, when we see them collecting it in the months 
of June, July, &c. at which time they have honey in great 
plenty. This substance is as common to a hive as any part 
belonging to the oeconomy of bees. Before they have formed 
five or six square inches of comb in a young hive, we shall 
find eggs, honey, and bee-bread ; and at whatever time of the 
year we kill a hive, we shall find this substance ; and if a hive 
is short of honey, and dies in the winter, we find no honey, but 
all the bee-bread, which w 7 as laid up in store for the maggots 
in the spring. They take great care of it, for it is often 
covered over with wax, as the honey, and I believe more espe- 
cially in the winter ; probably with a view to preserve it till 
wanted. In April I have found some of the cells full, others 
only half full. If we slit down a cell filled with this substance, 
we shall commonly find it composed of layers of different 
colours ; some a deep orange, others a pale brown. In glass 
hives, we often find that the glass makes one side of the cell, 
and frequently in such we shall see at once the different strata 
above mentioned. This is the substance which they bring in 
on their legs, and consists of the farina of plants. It is not the 
farina of every plant that the bee collects, at least they are 
found gathering it from some with great industry, while wq 
never find them on others: St. John's wort is a favourite 
